Chhapra (Bihar): Even as the death toll in the hooch tragedy in Bihar's Chhapra has gone up to 75, the Saran district administration is yet to get the post-mortem report of the victims, official sources said. They further revealed that out of the 75 deaths, the district administration has confirmed that 67 deaths took place due to the consumption of spurious liquor out of which the majority have taken place in the Mashrak police station area, Madhaura, Isuapur and Amnaur blocks of the district. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been set up to probe the case.
According to official sources, the raw material for the spurious liquor-raw spirit- might have come from the Mashrak police station itself. They further revealed that the Excise Department had earlier seized a large quantity of raw spirit and kept it at the police station so that it can be destroyed later. But the concerned officials forgot about the task and large quantity of raw spirit went missing from the Mashrak police station resulting in apprehension that the raw material for the spurious liquor might have come from the police station itself.
Saran Santosh Kumar, Superintendent of Police, said that so far 213 persons have been arrested adding that several others have been detained. "After the incident of a suspicious death in various police station areas of Marhaura sub-division, an FIR has been registered in Mashrakh police station and Isuapur police station. Raids are being conducted to arrest others involved in the case. A special investigation team consisting of 31 police officers and police personnel, including three deputy superintendents of police, has been constituted," said Kumar.
