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Death toll in Tamil Nadu hooch cases rises to 14, CB-CID to take over probe
While nine deaths were reported from Villupuram, five died in Chengalpattu, officials aware of the matter said.
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Monday said the probe into two hooch tragedies in Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts will be shifted to Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), as the death toll increased to 14.
While nine deaths were reported from Villupuram, five died in Chengalpattu, officials aware of the matter said.
“All efforts are being made to arrest everyone related to these two incidents … We will try to completely stop industrial grade materials from being used to brew illegal liquor and find the root cause (of the hooch tragedy) and eradicate this. Investigation in both the cases will be shifted to the CB-CID,” said Stalin. He also met the families of the deceased and those undergoing treatment at Villupuram government medical college hospital.
The chief minister said action would be taken against officials for not implementing the government’s order to completely end brewing and sale of illicit liquor. Later, he chaired a high-level meeting and directed police officials to pay special attention to end illicit liquor. “There should be no kind of compromise on the matter,” he told officials.
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“I have ordered ₹10 lakh solatium to the kin of the deceased in the two incidents. To those who are being treated, ₹50,000 assistance has been provided,” the chief minister said.
The nine persons belonged to Ekkiyarkuppam fishing village near Marakkanam in Villupuram district. In Villupuram, 40 persons are being treated at the medical college hospital here at Mundiyampakkam. Three others were being treated at JIPMER Hospital and another person at Puducherry government hospital.
On Saturday night, a large number of people consumed liquor brewed locally in Marakanam near Ekkiyarkuppam in Villupuram district. “We have found that they had used methanol meant to be used by industries in brewing this liquor which has led to this tragedy,” the chief minister said.
A similar incident was reported from Madhuranthakam in Chengalpattu district.
“Seven people are undergoing treatment in Chengalpattu government hospital. Even here, the investigation has found that those manufacturing spurious liquor have used methanol,” the chief minister.
In both Villupuram and Chengelpet, methanol was used to make the brew and empty bottles of alcoholic beverages sold in state-run TASMAC stores were used in Chengelpet to fill the illicit liquor,said officials aware of the matter.
Police on Sunday had arrested a man, V Amaran, in Villupuram, who was involved in sale of the illicit liquor.
Villupuram superintendent of police N Shreenatha, among other officials, was placed under suspension while his Chengapattu counterpart A Pradeep was transferred, said officials aware of the matter.
In the last two days, 1,842 cases were registered and 1,558 people arrested in the liquor hunt across Tamil Nadu, said Tamil Nadu’s director general of police (DGP) Sylendra Babu.
In this crackdown, 19,028 liters of illicit liquor has been seized, 4,943 liters of liquor bottles were destroyed and 16,493 bottles sold in the market illegally were seized. One four-wheeler and seven two-wheelers used to smuggle the spurious liquor were seized, the DGP added.
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All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary and leader of opposition, Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) blamed the government for the incident. “There are reports that some of them (in Villupuram) have lost their eyesight ... I’ve been consistently saying that law and order has gone for a total toss in Tamil Nadu. A puppet chief minister is governing our state. The government could have averted these two incidents and prevented the deaths if they did their jobs properly. Stalin has to resign,” he told reporters.
Higher education minister K Ponmudi who hails from Villupuram said that the issue of spurious liquor had also occurred during the AIADMK’s governance. “He (EPS) is speaking as though it is something new which is happening,” said Ponmudi.
