Alleging negligence, students' body lodges FIR against Assam excise officials

JORHAT: The All Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (AATSA) has lodged a police complaint against Jorhat district officials of the excise department for their alleged failure to check illicit liquor trade. The complaint comes days after the Assam hooch tragedy which claimed 155 lives, out of which 62 were from Jorhat.

AATTSA assistant general secretary Dhiraj Gowala said, "We have lodged an FIR against superintendent of excise, excise inspector and excise sub-inspector for their failure to control illicit liquor trade in Jorhat district. We believe that it is due to failures on the part of the district excise department that 62 people had to die after consuming spurious liquor in Jorhat. We want all those who are guilty to be punished as per provisions of the law."

Confirming that an FIR has been lodged, a Jorhat police officer said, "We have received the FIR and have registered a case against the excise department officials in Jorhat district. We have booked them under Section 119 (public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent) of the Indian Penal Code and our investigation is on."

Since the hooch tragedy, police and excise department officials in both Jorhat and Golaghat have launched massive drives against spurious liquor trade. At least 50 people have been arrested from different parts of Jorhat and Golaghat for being involved in trading illegal alcohol. The state government has announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation for the next of kin of the victims and Rs 50,000 for everyone who fell ill after drinking spurious liquor.

Congress has also lodged a police complaint in Jorhat against the state excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya and other officials of his department for their "failure" to check illicit liquor trade in the state. Congress and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) had also earlier called for Suklabaidya's resignation.