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Hooch claims four lives in Hassan district

Staff Correspondent

Another incident: Doctors attending to one of those who consumed spurious liquor, at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences in Hassan on Friday.

HASSAN: Four persons have died after drinking spurious liquor and 21 are undergoing treatment in Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district, said Superintendent of Police K.V. Sharatchandra here on Friday.

Mr. Sharatchandra gave the names of the dead as Dharmaiah (50), his wife Gowramma (45) both from Bumarahalli, Muganna Gowda (40) from Hiriyurukudige, and Kushala (45) from Karadigala.

The police officer said it was Mahesh who supplied the spurious liquor. Mahesh had since been arrested.

Mr. Sharatchandra said that on Thursday, there was “Beegaroota” (a lunch hosted for bride’s family two days after the marriage) at the house of Dinesh at Bumarahalli in Sakleshpur taluk. Some people decided to have liquor and finish off the surplus non-vegetarian food. At that Mahesh allegedly went to Hiriyurukudige and brought seven litres of spurious liquor. The group consumed the liquor at 7 p.m. and by 9 p.m., they started vomiting and had diarrhoea. They were rushed to government hospital in Sakleshpur. Doctors at Sakleshpur administered drips and sent them to Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences.

Manjunatha and his wife Jayamma, who were from Doddakalluru, were critical at a private nursing home in Hassan, he said.

Lakshmana Gowda (47) from Bumarahalli, Puttamma (30) from Hiriyurukudige, Yogendra Gowda (40) from Chikkanduru, Thippe Gowda (55), Ravi (35) and Subramanya (37), all from Bumarahalli and Krishne Gowda are undergoing treatment. Muthhamma, Manjappa (38) from Holalalli, and Indra Kumar have been shifted to Mangalore.

Mr. Sharatchandra said five persons were undergoing treatment in Government Hospital in Sakleshpur. District Surgeon Prem Kumar said 16 patients were referred to HIMS from Sakleshpur and four of them died.

Three serious

Mangalore Staff Correspondent adds:

Three of the people affected by the Hassan Hooch tragedy are battling for their lives at the District Wenlock Hospital in Mangalore. The duty doctor in-charge told The Hindu that the patients were in a critical condition.

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