The menace of spurious liquor reared its head again in Uttar Pradesh despite the tall claims of officials of a crackdown on the illicit trade. The killer brew consumed five lives in Unnao, about 60 km from Lucknow, on the intervening night of June 3 and 4.
Taking a serious view of the incident, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered the suspension of seven excise personnel, including the District Excise Officer of Unnao. While the inspector in charge of Kotwali police station in Unnao has been sent to the Lines, a sub-inspector and two constables have been suspended.
According to an official spokesman, Chattar Sonkar (40), Lal Chandra Sonkar (50), Mangli, Rajesh and Rakesh Kumar, all three aged 25, died after consuming hooch.
Meanwhile, 200 cases of illicit liquor were seized from a vehicle at Vasundhara Road in Ghaziabad on Thursday. The liquor is priced at around Rs. 1 crore. Two persons belonging to Haryana have been arrested.
