After 21 persons lost their lives after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, CM Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry.
At least 21 persons have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in three districts of Majha region of Punjab in the last 48 hours.
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry by Divisional Commissioner Jalandhar into these deaths reported in Amritsar, Batala and Tarn Taran. The numbers of deaths may increase as some people continue to be in a critical condition.
These deaths come around two months after the Punjab CM ordered the police and excise department to crack down on illegal liquor brewing in the state that was hurting the state’s revenues.
Giving details of the case, DGP Punjab Dinkar Gupta said the first five deaths were reported from Mucchal and Tangra villages in PS Tarsikka in Amritsar Rural on the night of June 29. On the evening of July 30, two more persons died under suspicious circumstances in Muchhal, while one person was hospitalised in critical condition and later succumbed at Sri Guru Ramdas Hospital, from where he was referred by Dr. Sarabjit Kaur Hospital, Tangra.
Later, two more deaths were reported from Muchhal village while another two people reportedly died in Batala city also due to spurious liquor consumption.
On Friday, five more persons died in Batala, taking the toll in the city to seven, while one person has been referred to Civil Hospital, Batala in critical condition. Four more similarly suspicious deaths have also been reported from Tarn Taran.
Many bodies have been cremated without the postmortem examination.
The CM said that post mortem of four persons – Jaswinder Singh, Kashmir Singh, Kirpal Singh and Jaswant Singh – will be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the deaths.