Death toll in the Motihari hooch tragedy has touched 22 as 11 more people died on Sunday. The district administration has confirmed the death and the police has swung into action.
Speaking to The Hindu over phone, East Champaran Superintendent of Police (SP) Kantesh Kumar Mishra said, “Till now 22 people have died in the hooch tragedy and several others are hospitalised. We have suspended two officials of the Liquor Task Force (LTA) apart from nine ‘chowkidars’. Show-cause notice has been served to the station house officers (SHO) of five police stations.”
The East Champaran district administration has sent a medical team for a door-to-door survey to find out if anyone else is facing health issues so that quick treatment could be provided.
Sources said that a container with illicit liquor was brought to the town and distributed among the local traders who are into bootlegging.
Liquor, spirit seized
Mr. Mishra said 70 people have been arrested and raids are being conducted at nearby areas to nab those responsible for the tragedy. Raids were conducted at more than 400 places. During the raids, officers seized 600 litres of liquor and 50 litres of spirit.
The victims of the hooch tragedy include residents of Turkolia, Harsiddhi, Sugauli and Pahadpur area of East Champaran district.
This is not the first incident of hooch tragedy in Bihar. In such a tragedy in the past, hundreds of people lost their lives as well as eyesight. In December 2022, at least 42 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran district. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the Saran incident. The NHRC report stated that at least 77 people died in the hooch tragedy.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sought a report of the Motihari tragedy and termed it a sad incident on Saturday.
Former BJP State president and Bettiah MP Sanjay Jaiswal on Sunday slammed the Nitish Kumar government and alleged that the district administration is trying to protect the people responsible for supplying poisonous liquor. said, “To hide the truth, the district administration has forced the villagers to cremate the bodies. It is not a hooch tragedy, but murder. The situation is really horrible in Motihari and the local administration is in nexus with the liquor mafia. Several people have lost their eyesight as well.” Mr. Jaiswal said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha visited the house of the deceased and met their family members.
