Hooch Deaths

In yet another case of suspected hooch tragedy in dry Bihar, two persons have died in Begusarai district with locals alleging that they had consumed spurious liquor and police admitting that it was conducting raids jointly with the Prohibition Excise & Registration department. The two - identified as Hareram Tanti (50) and Chunchun Prasad Singh (60) - died on Wednesday. Both deaths have been reported from Mehda Shahpur village under the jurisdiction of Cherriabariyarpur police station. The district police have so far maintained that it was not in a position to confirm that the deaths were caused by liquor consumption. In a statement, the police claimed that one of the deceased, Hareram Tanti, had been admitted to a hospital with "breathing trouble", while the family members of the other person, Chunchun Prasad Singh, did not agree to a post-mortem examination and claimed that he died of "cold". "The exact cause of death of Tanti can only be known after the post-mortem examination.

Describing the tragedy as "tragic," Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishor said on Thursday that the state's liquor ban is not enforced anywhere, existing only in government files and political

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Madras High Court to strike down the Tamil Nadu government order providing Rs 10 lakh compensation to all the victims of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. When the PIL filed by Mohamed Ghouse came up for hearing on Friday, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shafiq orally said the compensation amount was on the higher side and posted after two weeks, further hearing of the case. The victims were not freedom fighters or social activists who have lost their lives for the cause of the general public or for the sake of the society and had committed an illegal act by consuming spurious liquor, he submitted. According to Ghouse, consuming illicit liquor was an illegal act. The state need not have pity on those who consumed illicit liquor and thereby committed an illegal act and consequently succumbed to such an act. He said solatium should be given only to the victims of accidents and not to th

Days after the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in the state that claimed over 60 lives, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday amended a prohibition act to substantially enhance the punishment, which included life imprisonment for bootleggers in case of fatalities following consumption of spurious liquor. The state government amended the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937 to enhance the punishment term and quantum of fine for offences like manufacture, possession and selling of illicit liquor that endangers lives. The Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2024, which shall come into force on such date as notified by the government, aims to completely eradicate the menace of illicit liquor from the state. The amendment substantially enhances the term of imprisonment and quantum of fine for various offences under sections 4,5,6,7 and 11 of the Act. Accordingly, a maximum punishment of 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and a penalty of up to Rs 5 lakh has been proposed in the amendment.

Led by party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK MLAs and party workers held a hunger strike here on Thursday to press for a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. DMDK chief Premalatha Vijayakanth visited the venue and lent her party's support to the protest. Clad in black shirts, the AIADMK legislators, who have been suspended from the ongoing Assembly session for disrupting proceedings, began their fast here by 9 am at the Rajarathinam stadium. The fast is also to condemn 'denial of permission' to raise the issue in the state Assembly, according to the main opposition party. Palaniswami, in a post on X, demanded Chief Minister M K Stalin's resignation and reiterated that the hooch deaths be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While the deaths have 'crossed 60,' why has not Stalin visited Kallakurichi so far, he asked. He also slammed the chief minister's 'reluctance' to have a honest discussion over the issue in the Assembly. Premalat

The total number of people affected by the consumption of illicit liquor has now increased to 225

Chief minister M K Stalin announced Rs 5,000 monthly assistance to children who lost their parents. Opposition parties in the state stage protest

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District Collector MS Prasanth said that out of the total 193 patients, who consumed illicit liquor, 140 are currently safe

Death toll rises to 47 and 118 people remain hospitalised in hooch tragedy in the Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu

Police arrested four people over illicit liquor sales and seized 200 litres of the alcoholic drink

Chief Minister M K Stalin has announces a Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those undergoing treatment

Stalin also directed officials to notify a one-man commission to be led by retired Madras High Court Judge B Gokuldas to make recommendations to the government

Tamil Nadu government said that it is contemplating stringent restrictions on use of methanol after 19 people died by consuming spurious liquor in Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of the state

The tragedy that struck Ekkiyarkuppam and Perunkaranai villages of Tamil Nadu was due to the consumption of methanol, a deadly concoction made by illicit brewers, and not due to spurious liquor, the police claimed on Tuesday. The organic chemical was procured from a man from Puducherry by various persons and it was used to brew the spurious liquor, a release from the DGP C Sylendra Babu said. This light, volatile, colourless and flammable liquid is used for industrial purposes. Methanol has the odour of alcohol. "Due to the effective measures taken to prevent the brewing of illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu, and also the enhanced vigil to curtail the movement of the illicit liquor, resulted in its non-availability in the state. Few persons resorted to selling the chemical substance stolen from industrial units. Hence, this tragedy," the release said. Investigation is on to find out from which industrial unit this methanol was stolen and the nexus between those involved in this nefarious

Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition K Palaniswami on Tuesday met the persons who are undergoing treatment after consuming spurious liquor in the district. The AIADMK general secretary also slammed the ruling DMK over the issue of hooch and alleged action was not being taken against those selling illicit liquor. Referring to the Marakkanam hooch tragedy here, he said those undergoing treatment were suffering from health issues including eyesight problems. "This is a sad and shocking incident. This government has not brought any schemes in the last two years. Those selling spurious liquor are not facing action," he told reporters after meeting the affected persons undergoing treatment at a government hospital here. During the 2011-21 AIADMK regime, the issue was dealt with sternly and the stringent Goondas Act was invoked against those nabbed for selling illicit liquor, the former Chief Minister said. Launching a scathing attack on Chief Minister M K Stalin over the issue, Palaniswami .

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said he is deeply pained over the deaths in the suspected hooch tragedy at Motihari in East Champaran district, and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. The death toll rose to 26 on Monday, with four more people losing their lives after consuming the spurious liquor, police said. I am deeply pained at what happened in Motihari I know that the majority of people who die in such incidents belong to the economically weaker sections Despite our best attempts, hooch incidents are taking place in the state and people are dying after consuming spurious liquor, Kumar told reporters. We have decided to provide ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased. But, the amount will only be given if their family members give in writing to the district magistrate concerned that the death took place after consuming illicit liquor. They will have to disclose the source from where the alcohol was ...

The Supreme Court said on Tuesday a petition seeking an independent probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the last month's hooch tragedy in Bihar which claimed many lives will be heard on January 9. The plea about the tragedy in Saran district, where at least 30 people lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor, has also sought a direction to the state government to adequately compensate the victim families. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha. "It will come up next Monday," the bench told advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak who mentioned the matter. Bihar's Nitish Kumar government imposed a complete prohibition in April 2016 and has rejected the demand for compensation to the families of those who died after consuming spurious liquor. The petition, filed in the apex court by Bihar-based Aryavarta Mahasabha Foundation, has arrayed the Centre and the state of Bihar as respondents.

Police said the arrested people used to manufacture spurious liquor from chemicals and sugar in homoeopathic medicines

BJP's firebrand leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh has said that the Saran liquor tragedy took place due to the pathetic law and order situation in Bihar