Bengal hooch tragedy: wife of prime accused held

The West Bengal criminal investigation department (CID) has arrested four persons including the wife of the prime suspect, Khora Badshah, in connection with the hooch tragedy earlier this month in which 173 people have died so far.

The West Bengal criminal investigation department (CID) has arrested four persons including the wife of the prime suspect, Khora Badshah, in connection with the hooch tragedy earlier this month in which 173 people have died so far.

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Shakila Bibi alias Nurjahan, Badshah’s first wife, and three others were arrested from a house in Canning town of South 24 Parganas district during the early hours on Sunday.

They were produced in court, which remanded them in police custody for 14 days.

According to a source in the CID, Shakila claimed Badshah had paid local leaders of the ruling Trinamool Congress to be able to operate his den in Mograhat block. She said Badshah used to pay some leaders of CPM earlier. She said these pay offs were separate from bribes to the local police and some excise department officials, the source added.

Trinamool and CPM rubbished her claims. “None of our party workers has any connection with them,” said Abu Taher, Trinamool’s secretary general of South 24 Parganas district.

The hooch deaths had started on December 13-14. The victims had consumed the spurious liquor at shanties near Sangrampur railway station of the district.

With agency inputs