The incident in which six persons were killed and about 30 were hospitalised after consuming liquor at Swarna Bar at Krishnalanka on December 7 last year, occurred due to mixing of cyanide in Indian Made Liquor (IML).
Swarna Bar and Restaurant was owned by former MLA and Congress party leader Malladi Vishnu, his brother Srinivas and other family members.
The bar was reportedly being run illegally in the cellar of M Hotel, and close to the National Highway violating the rules.
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About 35 persons suffered giddiness and vomiting after they had consumed IML in the bar around 7 a.m. on December 7.
They were rushed to different hospitals and five died while undergoing treatment.
Another victim, who became brain dead, died after a few days in a private hospital.
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Director-General of Police J.V. Ramudu constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Vijayawada Commissioner of Police D. Gautam Sawang, then DIG Mahesh Chandra Laddha and eight others, to probe the case.
SIT had sent the samples of the liquor seized from Swarna Bar to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to ascertain the cause of the deaths. They arrested more than 10 persons, including Vishnu and his brother Srinivas.
“The FSL report indicated that diluted cyanide was present in the samples which caused the tragedy. If the liquor was laced with concentrated cyanide, deaths would have occurred immediately,” Mr. Sawang said.
“We verified the CCTV footages in the bar. But, police could not identify where the liquor was adulterated. Police questioned the bar owner, manager, supervisor, tenders and the sweepers, but could not get much information,” Mr. Sawang told The Hindu . Even after five months after the tragedy, police could not detect from where the accused procured cyanide, how and where they mixed it in the liquor.
Charge sheet
SIT is preparing to file charge sheet in the court in the liquor tragedy case, the SIT head said.
Police are trying to find out from where the accused get cyanide.
Whether cyanide was mixed to give extra kick or was it a case of sabotage and other details, the SIT officials said.