Chhapra (Bihar):The death toll in the Chhapra hooch tragedy rose to 74 due to the consumption of spurious liquor making it one of the largest hooch tragedies in the state. The incident was reported on Wednesday. These deaths have been reported from the Mashrak police station area, Madhaura, Isuapur, and Amnaur blocks of Saran. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was investigating the incident.
It has also come to light that the spurious liquor, which caused the deaths, disappeared from the Mashrak police station. According to sources, when the excise department started probing the deaths, they came to know that a large quantity of 'raw spirit' that the police seized in the past and stored at the Mashrak police station was missing. It was suspected that the spirit used in the spurious liquor was taken from the police station.
Joint Commissioner Krishna Paswan and Deputy Secretary Product Department Niranjan Kumar also reached Mashrak to investigate the matter. Official sources said, "Two constables of this police station were suspended." The sick are undergoing treatment at Sadar Hospital, PMCH and NMCH in Chhapra where the condition of many people remains critical. In all, 25 people have lost their eyesight after consumption of spurious liquor.