Since imposition of prohibition last year,77,000 people have been sent to jail in different parts of the state for violation of anti-liquor laws.
Patna : Four people died after consuming toxic liquor at Danwar village under Kachwa police station,75 kms from district headquarters of Rohtas in South Bihar late Friday night.
A complete ban on sale and consumption of alcohol was imposed in the state in April last year.
DIG of Shahabad range, Mohammad Rahman, confirming the hooch tragedy said “All of them died after consuming liquor”.
Two others are admitted in Narayan medical College Hospital, a private medical college run by a senior BJP MP at Dehri on-Sone.
As the annual Chhath festival concluded on Friday, some villagers went to an illicit liquor shop near the village and consumed it late Friday night.
When they complained of stomach pain and uneasiness, their family members rushed them to Jamuhar hospital, where Kamlesh Singh died before he could enter the premises of the hospital. Remaining three died in the hospital early this morning.
Villagers stopped movement of vehicles on the Piro-Bikramganj national highway alleging the nexus between the local police and the illicit liquor traders. They had put the bodies too on the high-way which was lifted with the arrival of the senior officials from Sasaram, district headquarters of Rohtas.
DIG said all the 17 policemen posted in Kachwa police station have been suspended include the officer-in-charge Mukesh Kumar, four sub-inspectors and 12 constables. IG of Patna zone, MH Khan, has recommended departmental action against the sub-divisional police officer also.
Chief minister Nitish Kumar who presided over a cabinet meeting directed the chief secretary to seek a detailed report from the District Magistrate (DM) Animesh Parashar and SP M S Dhillon and inquired about the source of import of liquor by the villagers.
The four dead in the village have been identified as Uday Singh (40), Dhanjit Singh (28), Harihar Singh (50) and Kamlesh Singh (50). Unofficial sources claimed five deaths, but DM claimed only four died.
This is the second biggest hooch tragedy in Bihar after imposition of total prohibition. In August last year, 16 people were killed in Gopalganj district.
Under different sections of the Bihar Excise Act, death penalty is recommended for manufacture and trade of illicit liquor if it causes grievous hurt or death to the consumer. In addition, a fine of Rs 10 lakhs is also provisioned under the Act. The survivors of liquor consumption would get a minimum five years jail term with a fine of Rs one lakh.
Since imposition of prohibition last year,77,000 people have been sent to jail in different parts of the state for violation of anti-liquor laws.
