Sagar (MP): Eleven people died and 54 others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Sunday, with a preliminary probe indicating the liquor was supplied from Lalitpur in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
Authorities suspended three excise officials and two police personnel in connection with the tragedy, they added.
Three separate FIRs have been registered based on complaints by the victims’ kin, Sagar Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Shashindra Chouhan said.
“Eleven persons have died after consuming illegal spurious liquor in two villages of Banda tehsil, about 30 km from the district headquarters,” Chouhan, who was visiting the affected area, told PTI over phone.
The 54 who have fallen ill include 49 with symptoms like blurred vision and dizziness, he said.
They have been screened and admitted to Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMCH), the DIG said, adding that those with minor complaints would be discharged after initial treatment.
“Police teams searched the affected villages since morning for people who may have consumed liquor. The Banda police station house officer and an outpost in-charge have been suspended. Three separate FIRs have been registered by the victims’ kin at two police stations, including Banda,” he said.
A link between some persons in Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh and the local liquor contractor (outlet owner) has emerged during the investigation, Chouhan said.
People are being picked up for questioning as part of the probe, while those named in the FIR are being taken into custody and would be arrested once charges are confirmed, the DIG informed.
Earlier, Sagar Collector Pratibha Pal had told reporters that initial investigation indicated the liquor had been supplied from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
“There is a gang in Lalitpur that supplies this kind of poisonous liquor. Since this area is adjacent to Uttar Pradesh, this has come to light in the preliminary investigation. The matter is being investigated,” she said.
MP Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena said Sagar Assistant Excise Commissioner Kirti Dubey, Additional District Excise Officer Dilip Kandaka and Sub-Inspector Roshani Urathi have been suspended.
Area Deputy Commissioner Neerja Shrivastava was transferred out of Sagar and attached to the department’s headquarters in Gwalior, said Saxena.
Initial investigation suggests the tragedy was caused by fake liquor, with the police probing where it was manufactured, said Saxena, who visited Sagar.
“The packing of the spurious liquor looked original, like that of locally made brands. The agent of the licensed liquor seller sold it and people thought it was genuine,” he said.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the deaths in the Banda-Shahgarh area as “extremely sad and unfortunate” and ordered an immediate probe, directing officials to take strict action against those responsible. He asserted that no guilty person would be spared.
Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda directed authorities to ensure prompt investigation, relief and medical treatment in the affected area, according to an official statement.
Senior officials, including the Sagar divisional commissioner, inspector general, collector and superintendent of police, reached the area, met the affected families and reviewed treatment and medical arrangements for patients.
The district administration sealed seven liquor shops in the area as a precautionary measure and ordered immediate sampling.
The administration appealed to people who had consumed liquor and were experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, headache or fever to immediately visit health centres and undergo medical examination.
Meanwhile, state Congress president Jitu Patwari targeted the state government over the deaths and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
“Liquor mafias are fearlessly taking people’s lives across the state,” he alleged while talking to reporters in Gwalior.
He said several people in Baraj, Ghughar, Nauraj and nearby villages had consumed liquor on Saturday night, following which their health suddenly deteriorated. Their relatives took them to the government hospital in Banda, where doctors declared several of them dead, he said.
Former Congress MLA Tarvar Lodhi claimed several people from villages under Banda development block had consumed liquor on Saturday night, following which their health deteriorated. They were rushed to hospital, where several were declared dead, he said.
The hooch tragedy in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh comes after 13 people died last month from spurious liquor consumption in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, a ‘dry’ state, also governed by the saffron party, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are banned.
