Hooch toll rises to 31 in Bihar's East Champaran

MOTIHARI: The death count in East Champaran district hooch tragedy rose to 31 on Tuesday with 3 more persons succumbing in Harsidhi and Turkauliya after consuming spurious liquor.
At least 20 persons are still undergoing treatment in private hospitals at Motihari and 10 persons in SKMCH at Muzaffarpur.
SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra said on Tuesday so far 31 prsons have died in the hooch tragedy since Friday last, but post-mortem was conducted of only 10 bodies and their viscera were sent to Muzaffarpur for examination.
He said 183 liquor smugglers have been arrested and 1800 litres of semi-finished country liquor and 51 litres of branded liquor were seized during the raids conducted in the last five days. Five SHOs of different police stations and 9 chawkidars have been suspended for dereliction of duty, he added. Amritesh Kumar, the district excise and prohibition superintendent, said a drive has been launched against liquor smugglers and two chawkidars of Harsidhi and Turkauliya police stations were arrested while consuming liquor at Pakari roundabout in Harsidhi on Monday.
DM Saurabh Jorwal said door-to-door survey was being conducted by medical teams to find out any person who had consumed liquor and undergoing treatment at home in Turkauliya, Harsidhi, Paharpur and Sugauli police station areas.
He said seven inspectors and sub-inspectors of prohibition department of the district have been asked to give explanation in connection with the hooch incident. Despite the action against liquor mafias, they are fearlessly running their illegal business. One Shambhu Paswan, earlier attached to Dhaka police station, was shot at by liquor smugglers near Mahuawa village Monday night. SDPO Rajesh Kumar said Paswan was undergoing treatment in a private nursing home at Motihari.
The Dhaka police arrested several liquor smugglers on information from Paswan.
Around 50 gangs of liquor smugglers are running their business in bordering areas like Raxaul, Dhaka, Patahi, Chiraiya Adapur, Ghorasan and Chainpur, sources said.