At least 92 people are reported to have lost lives in a cluster of villages in neighbouring districts in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand after consuming spurious liquor sourced from a village called Balupur in Haridwar. 

Most of the victims had consumed the liquor at a mourning event on Thursday night at Balupur (Uttarakhand), while some others had bought the hooch pouches from bootleggers in the past three days.

DNA has learned that around 60 people are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals. More people were being hospitalised and reports suggest that the death toll may top 100. 

In UP’s Saharanpur and Meerut, 46 and 18 people were reported dead, while at least 28 died in Uttarakhand. 

The places fall en route from the national capital towards Dehradun. At an intersection, the road bifurcates; one fork goes towards Meerut and Saharanpur, the other towards Roorkee and Haridwar. 

Meanwhile, in UP’s pilgrim town of Kushinagar, 10 deaths have been reported, of which two are due to the consumption of illicit liquor. Police are awaiting medical reports to know the cause of the other eight deaths.

Harrowing scenes were seen outside village mortuaries as people gathered to collect the bodies of their relatives. Umahi village in Saharanpur lost 16 of its residents. 

Sources said that a bootlegger had sourced the liquor from a nomadic tribe identified as Sehsi, and a man identified as Pintu had circulated it in the area. But the police have not given any official confirmation on this. 

Pintu’s family members claimed that he has cancer and it was another person called Sardar who would come and deliver the hooch. 

The locals alleged that the police officials were hand-in-glove with the bootleggers in the area. 

“Around midnight, 18 people were taken to hospitals of whom six were declared brought dead, while 10 died during treatment,” said Ranvijay, Superintendent of Police, Meerut (City).  

As per senior police officials, the exact number of deaths can only be ascertained after the viscera reports are final. 

“In Saharanpur, 46 people have died and it appears that ten deaths were due to reasons other than the liquor,” an official said.   

Police are trying to identify the people who were involved in brewing and selling the liquor. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of each of those who died because of the spurious liquor, and Rs 50,000 for those at hospitals. 

The Chief Minister had earlier ordered a 15-day joint drive by excise and police officials against those involved in the trade of spurious liquor. 

As many as 35 cases under various Indian Penal Code sections have been registered and 39 people have been arrested in a joint operation by the state police and excise departments. 

MAJOR HOOCH TRAGEDIES 

• November 28, 2018: At least seven persons have died and 19 others have fallen sick in West Bengal’s Nadia district after consuming spurious liquor. 7
• August 21, 2018: Five people have died and seven others taken ill at a village in Shamli district (Uttar Pradesh) allegedly after consuming spurious liquor. 5
• May 19, 2018: As many as twelve people have died after consuming spurious liquor in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. 12
• September 7, 2016: At least nine persons have died after allegedly consuming hooch at Valeri village, Gujarat. 9
• August 17, 2016: Thirteen people have died after consuming spurious liquor in Gopalganj town of Bihar. 12
• June 18, 2015: 102 persons have died after consuming spuri-ous liquor in the Malwani area of  Malad (W).  102
• January 12, 2015: Fourty one persons have died after  consuming spurious liquor in Malihabad  area,  on  the  outskirts  of   Lucknow. 41