The police said efforts were on to arrest the main culprit (Representational)
Five people died and 16 more took ill after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, police said on Friday.
Senior police official Santosh Singh said the incident came to light in the Jeet Gali area of the district on Wednesday night as people started falling sick after consuming liquor purchased from a person identified as Kuldeep.
They were admitted to a hospital, where five people in the age group of 45 to 60 years died by Friday morning, he said, adding that 16 more were undergoing treatment.
Mr Singh said efforts were on to arrest the main culprit, even as some of his associates are being interrogated in custody.
Prima facie, it has been found that the spurious liquor was being sold in the area for some time, and therefore, four policemen -- police station in-charge, chowki in-charge and two constables -- have been suspended, he said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a strong view of the incident and directed officials to initiate stern action under the NSA and the Gangsters Act against the accused, a government spokesperson said.
