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Gujarat hooch tragedy: Probe handed over to 2 SPs, factory owner summoned
The hooch tragedy that came to light on July 25 in Gujarat claimed 42 lives and so far 15 persons have been arrested in the case
The Gujarat home department has handed over the supervision of the first information reports (FIRs) registered in connection with a hooch tragedy that claimed 42 lives to two superintendents of police (SPs), according to a senior government official.
The supervision of the two FIRs registered in Botad district has been handed over to SP (state monitoring cell), Nirlipt Rai, and that of the FIR lodged at Ahmedabad (rural) police station to SP Jyoti Pankaj Patel of the state crime record bureau, the official said.
“We hope the investigation is completed soon and that the culprits behind these deaths are punished as soon as possible,” according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Summons have also been issued to the chemical factory owner by the prohibition department where the chemical that claimed more than 40 lives last week was manufactured, he added. So far 15 persons, including one who acquired chemicals for hooch production and those who sold the liquor, have been arrested.
The hooch tragedy came to light on July 25 morning when some people living in Rojid village of Botad and other surrounding villages were referred to government hospitals in Barvala area and Botad towns with deteriorating health conditions.
According to police investigation, a person identified as Jayesh aka Raju stole 600 litres of methyl alcohol from a chemical company’s godown in Ahmedabad’s Aslali area where he worked as a manager. He then sold it to his Botad-based cousin Sanjay for ₹40,000 on July 25, according to police. It was later sold to small time bootleggers including a woman.
The pouches in which the chemical was packed were sold for ₹20-40 each. The deceased are mostly safai kamdaars, farm labourers and other daily wagers.
The Gujarat Home Department has formed a three-member committee headed by senior Indian Police Service officer Subhash Trivedi to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and submit a report within three days, a state government release said. The other two members of the committee are Prohibition and Excise director, MA Gandhi, and Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory director, HP Sanghvi. The report by the committee is expected to be handed over to the home department in a day or so, according to the government official.
On Thursday, the department transferred the superintendents of police of Botad and Ahmedabad districts and suspended six other cops in connection with the deaths due to the hooch tragedy.
Following the hooch tragedy, the police last week initiated a statewide crackdown against bootleggers, arresting more than 2,500 accused and recovering about ₹1.5 crore worth of illicit liquor in a period of 48 hours.
