PATNA/BEGUSARAI/PRAYAGRAJ: At least 15 people have died due to suspected hooch poisoning in ‘dry’ Bihar and Uttar Pradesh since Holi on Monday. While Nawada, Begusarai and Rohtas districts of Bihar have together seen 11 deaths, the rest four deaths have taken place in Pratapgarh district of UP.
Police in Bihar, however, did not confirm any hooch death and were probing the incidents. Except in Begusarai, where police took possession of the bodies on Wednesday for conducting postmortem, the deceased in other districts were cremated by their kin, making it difficult for the administration to ascertain the cause of death.
Two deaths were reported from Goriyari village in Begusarai, four from Badhauni panchayat in Nawada and five from Kochas and Kargahar in Rohtas.
Begusarai DM Arvind Kumar Verma said he along with SP Awakash Kumar visited the village after getting reports about hooch deaths. “However, the family members of the deceased, ward members and villagers denied that they had consumed liquor.
We have decided to register unnatural death cases for further investigating the matter,” he said. Verma said one Virendra from the village is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Begusarai. “He denied consuming liquor. Postmortem of the deceased have been conducted and viscera preserved,” the DM said.
In reply to a query, the DM admitted that 400 litres of country-made liquor was seized from the village during raids on March 22. Incidentally, two of the four deceased in Nawada also suffered from vomiting, diarrhoea and breathlessness.
Times View: Illicit liquor is a regular killer, especially in the interiors of India. Bootlegging often flourishes in collusion with officials, including cops. A thorough investigation should be carried out to find the main, behind-the-scenes operatives of the illegal business. Suitable action must be taken against them.