3 killed in another hooch tragedy in Bihar

Bihar hooch tragedy: Muzaffarpur excise superintendent Sanjay Rai said that after holding talks with families of the deceased, it was learnt that “they were habitual consumers of toddy (tari).”

At least three persons died on Tuesday after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, police said.

At least three persons died on Tuesday after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district.

The trio started suffering from diarrhoea after consuming spurious liquor on November 7. “While two of them died during treatment, the third died at home,” Muzaffarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Jayant Kant said.

The deceased were identified as Ram Babu Rai (67), Dilip Rai (50) and Gopi Patel (30), residents of Kapurpura, Bariyarpur and Sirisiya villages, respectively, all falling under Kanti police station limits of Muzaffarpur district.

A fourth person, who also consumed the liquor, is undergoing treatment, the SSP said.

Following the incident, station house officer (SHO) of Kanti police station, Kundan Kumar, and chowkidars of two villages were suspended, he added.

Muzaffarpur excise superintendent Sanjay Rai said that after holding talks with families of the deceased, it was learnt that “they were habitual consumers of toddy (tari).”

The bodies of Ram Babu Rai and Dilip Rai have been sent for post-mortem as of now, Rai added.

“Given the kind of reports pouring in from different quarters, the possibility of deaths occurring due to spurious liquor consumption could not be ruled out. Anything could be said with certainty only after the autopsy report arrives,” Muzaffarpur district magistrate (DM) Pranav Kumar said.

Sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government five and a half years ago.