The Hindu : Front Page : Hooch toll in State goes up to 110

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
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Hooch toll in State goes up to 110

Karnataka Bureau

Majority of the deaths (56) have occurred in Bangalore city

Manhunt launched to arrest those connected with the production of the brew
Senior police officials from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu hold meeting

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Where to start? Women staff of the Health Department arriving at D.J. Halli in Bangalore on Tuesday, where several illicit liquor deaths have occurred.

Bangalore: The death toll in the hooch tragedy in several districts of Karnataka went up to 110 on Tuesday with another 55 people succumbing after consuming the illicit liquor, over the last 24 hours. Most of the deaths were in Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural districts.

A majority of the deaths occurred in Bangalore city (56) while adjoining Bangalore Urban district has recorded 25 deaths and Kolar district, where the hooch deaths first surfaced, has recorded 29 deaths so far. While 32 persons, including four women, were either brought dead or died at the Bowring Hospital, another ten persons died at the Ambedkar Hospital.

The death toll in Kolar taluk, including Narsapur, is 23. Five others from Anekal taluk adjoining Hosur in Tamil Nadu have died at the Victoria Hospital here.

The Director-General and Inspector-General of Police, R. Srikumar told The Hindu that a special police team had been constituted to launch a centralised investigation into the hooch tragedy. The team will look into a possible conspiracy angle into the tragedy. It is widely believed that the illicit liquor was manufactured in one place and was sold at various outlets in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Srikumar said, “I am trying to see the reason behind the tragedy. Ever since the elections were announced, the enforcement authorities have been curbing the brewing and trading of illicit liquor.”

Till Monday, 1,390 cases had been booked and 1,491 people had been arrested in connection with transportation, sale, distribution and storing of illicit liquor.

Raw materials apart from lakhs of arrack sachets, 15 lakh IML bottles and rectified spirit worth over Rs. 7.5 crore have been seized.

Police said 21 persons (including four in Malur and six in Kolar) have been arrested in connection with the sale of the spurious liquor. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the persons connected with the production of the brew. Joint Commissioner (Crime), Bangalore City, Gopal B. Hosur, said special teams had been formed to trace Soundar Rajan, who allegedly sold the spurious liquor sachets in Roshan Nagar in Bangalore.

It is suspected that he is hiding at Velankanni in Tamil Nadu and a police team has been sent to that place.

A search is also on for several others involved in the production and sale of the brew.

Senior police officials from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu held a meeting in Hosur on Tuesday. It was attended by Inspector-General of Police (Central Range) Doreswamy Naik, Mr. Hosur, Superintendents of Police of Bangalore Rural and Kolar Districts, Deputy Inspector-General of Police of Krishnagiri Range and Superintendents of Police of Krishnagiri and Salem districts.

Confusion

In Kolar district, confusion prevailed with unconfirmed reports indicating that 29 people had died since Saturday night. Some people who had consumed the spurious liquor in places such as Channasandra near Whitefield and Nandagudi in Bangalore district died in Kolar district. Meanwhile, the liquor tragedy spread to Bangarpet taluk where two deaths occurred.

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