Two held for selling spurious liquor in UP

Two men have been arrested for selling suspected spurious liquor whose consumption resulted in the deaths of two labourers, while 19 others fell ill in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur district, officials said on Tuesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Santosh Lodhi, a resident of Indro village, and Durgesh Kumar of Jaitpur village, Superintendent of Police Satpal told reporters.

Spurious liquor was recovered from the two, the SP said. He also said names of some other people selling suspected spurious liquor have emerged during interrogation and police are searching for them.

A total of 21 labourers, engaged for laying the roof of a house in Bhauli village in Ghazipur area, were taken ill last Wednesday after consuming illicit liquor, Fatehpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Pramod Jha had said on Friday.

Two labourers, identified as Shivbhola Paswan (40) and Motilal (50), died on Thursday and Friday respectively, Jha said. Paswan died while being taken to hospital on Thursday while Motilal died while undergoing treatment in a Fatehpur government hospital. Other 19 are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kanpur, he said.

On Saturday, An Excise Department inspector, a police sub-inspector and two constables were suspended in connection with the case.