Friday, Nov 15, 2002
Friday, Nov 15, 2002 |
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Tamil Nadu
By S. Dorairaj
Shortly after this incident, 13 persons, who had consumed liquor, were hospitalised as they complained of irritation in the eyes. But barring two — C. Mani (40) and N. Raghavan (36) — who were being treated in the JIPMER, Pondicherry, all were discharged, the police said. None of them consumed arrack containing methanol or any other poisonous material, the Villupuram Superintendent of Police, A.K. Singh, asserted. According to him, Palani died of "prolonged illness". On hearing the news of Palani's death around 5.30 p.m., the villagers, most of whom had allegedly consumed the arrack, rushed to the Government hospital at Gingee. Describing their action as a "panic reaction", the sources said the attempt by a police officer to convince them that the death of Palani was due to a ``prolonged illness'', however, proved counter-productive. The villagers decided to go to the hospital as the officer had reportedly told them that a large number of people would have been hospitalised had Palani's death been caused by "poisonous arrack", they noted. But the villagers, most of whom were farm workers, alleged that they were taken ill only after they had consumed illicit arrack sold in sachets at Ponpathi. No arrests were made today, but special teams were formed to nab E. Panchalai, said to be a ``notorious bootlegger'' in the area. Meanwhile, M. Devarajan (40) of Manamthavazhndaputhur in Panruti taluk in Cuddalore district, who was undergoing treatment in the JIPMER, died in the early hours today. The police said the death was caused by infection in the brainstem, leading to `septiciemia'. The body was handed over to his relatives, they added. Devarajan was admitted to the JIPMER on November 11 as he complained of a problem with his eyesight after consuming illicit arrack. Normalcy prevailed at Worayur, Avianur and Palur in Panruti taluk as all hooch victims belonging to these villages were already discharged, police sources said.
PMK blames Govt.
Meanwhile, the PMK leader, S. Ramadoss, charged that the recent ``hooch tragedy'' in Panurti only showed the "complete failure" of the AIADMK Government in stamping out illicit distillation in the State. In a statement in Chennai, he said the spate of liquor tragedies since the AIADMK took over proved that the Government had failed to implement its assurance in the Assembly, of wiping out the sale of illicit brew. The government machinery should own responsibility and provide Rs. 5 lakhs each as compensation to the families of the victims of the Panruti incident, which ``left two persons dead and 30 persons hospitalised'', he said.
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