Bihar Hooch Tragedy: 37 Dead, Cops Suspended as Spurious Liquor Claims Lives

Patna: Two police personnel were suspended, and 21 individuals, including seven women, were arrested in connection with a hooch tragedy in Siwan, Saran, and Gopalganj districts of dry Bihar , officials reported on Sunday.

Thirty-seven people allegedly lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor in the three districts.

"The station house officer of Mashrakh Police Station and another police official posted at Bhagwanpur post have been suspended for dereliction of duty pertaining to the suspected hooch deaths in their area of jurisdiction."

"The administrations of Siwan and Saran districts have already suspended three chowkidars of Maghar, Auriya, and Ibrahimpur areas following the incident," said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Saran Range, Nilesh Kumar.

Since October 16, as many as 28 people in Maghar and Auriya panchayats in Siwan district have died after consuming suspected illicit liquor. Additionally, seven people in the Ibrahimpur area under the jurisdiction of Mashrakh Police Station in Saran district and two in Gopalganj also died due to the "consumption of illicit liquor," another official stated.

The total death toll across all three districts under the Saran range has reached 37.

The Nitish Kumar -led Bihar government imposed a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol on April 5, 2016.

"The police have arrested 21 accused (13 in Siwan and eight in Saran) in connection with the latest hooch deaths. Of them, seven are women, who were part of the manufacturing and supply chain of illicit liquor in the two districts."

"We have also established a money trail of several lakhs linked to the illegal supply and manufacturing of illicit liquor in these districts and collected crucial digital evidence in this regard," the DIG added.

A separate case will be registered against the accused under the provisions of the money-laundering Act by the competent authority, he noted.

Following the suspected hooch tragedy in the three districts, the police have been conducting searches in their respective areas of jurisdiction, the DIG mentioned.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad expressed his concern on Sunday, stating, "The incident is very tragic. There seems to be no government in Bihar ."

(With PTI inputs)