SIT constituted to probe into Bihar hooch case; whip cracked on errant officials

CHHAPRA/PATNA: A day after over 20 people were killed in Bihar, a special investigative team was formed on Thursday to solve the hooch issue in the Saran district.
Twenty-six people have died and at least 12 others have been unwell since Tuesday night.

PTI quoted Saran district manager Rajesh Meena as saying that the action has been taken against officials concerned.
"We have also conducted intensive raids across the district in the last 48 hours and nabbed 126 hooch traders. More than 4,000 litres of illicit liquor have also been seized," he said.

Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar, who was also present at the press conference, declined to divulge whether the arrested persons included those directly involved in the latest hooch case, saying that "the matter is still under investigation and disclosing much at this stage could hamper the probe".
"Some blame lies on officials concerned too and hence SHO of Mashrak police station and the local chowkidar have been suspended with immediate effect," he added.
They also said that transfer of the Sub Divisional Police Officer of Marhaura has been recommended to authorities along with a request that departmental proceedings be initiated against him.
"For speedy investigation, an SIT consisting of 31 police officials, headed by an additional SP and including three deputy SPs, has also been set up", the district magistrate said.
The DM and the SP also appealed to the people to come forward "with any relevant information they might have, without any fear of reprisal".
Meanwhile, CPI(M) MLA Satyendra Yadav, whose party supports the "Mahagathbandhan" government from outside termed the stringent prohibition law, that has been in place for over six years, as "betuka" (absurd).
Yadav's Manjhi assembly segment is close to the areas of Saran, where the hooch tragedy happened.
Talking to PTI outside the state assembly, he said, "There may be virtue in abstinence from alcohol but it cannot be enforced by any law. This law is absurd and impractical. It is high time people understood that".
Sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April, 2016.
Crores of people drink in country, should they die: Sushil Modi slams Nitish Kumar
Crores of people drink liquor in the country, should all of them die, BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi asked on Thursday, slamming Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for his "jo piyega, woh marega" jibe as political heat rises in the state amid mounting toll in a hooch tragedy.
Modi told PTI that Kumar had earlier also made remarks like those who drink are "mahapapi" (big sinners) and they can't be Indians. It is inappropriate of the chief minister to make such remarks while people die due to consumption of spurious liquor in Bihar, where prohibition is in place, he added.
Union minister Giriraj Singh cited Kumar's comments to jeer at him, saying if people vote for him, they will die as this is the example in front of them.
Sushil Modi said illegal trade of liquor has become a "parallel economy" in Bihar and alleged that crores of rupees are being pocketed by those tasked with implementing prohibition in the state.
The former Bihar deputy chief minister, however, said the BJP supports prohibition and that its leaders' demand of a rethink on the policy is related to sorting out problems in its implementation. Children are being used for home delivery of liquor and drug abuse is on the rise as the policy has entirely failed, he alleged.
"Nitish Kumar imposed prohibition. So, it is his responsibility to ensure that it is successful. The entire government machinery is working on this one issue and still, it cannot do it," the senior BJP leader from Bihar said. "We (BJP) are not in favour of ending it," he added.
After Bihar's hooch toll officially climbed to 26, Kumar on Thursday warned that if people drink spurious liquor, they may well die. "Jo piyega, woh marega (those who drink spurious alcohol will die)," he thundered, maintaining that prohibition was "not my personal wish but a response to the cries of the women of the state".
Some BJP leaders have put the toll of the hooch tragedy at over 50, saying many bereaved families avoid informing authorities due to fear of harassment.
Over four lakh people have been jailed for allegedly violating prohibition, with nearly 1,500 being arrested daily on an average, Modi said, questioning if this shows the policy's success or failure.
BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said only an "insensitive" leader can make such a statement as he criticised the Janata Dal (United) chief.
"So far 39 people have died. Some families are so poor that they are seeking donations for cremation. But the narcissistic Nitish is worried about the success of prohibition," he claimed.
(With inputs from PTI)