Motihari: The number of deaths due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Bihar's East Champaran district has risen to 40 as more cases of people losing their lives have come to the fore.
While the official death toll is 27, sources told ETV Bharat that at least 40 people have died since April 15 when deaths after allegedly consuming illicit liquor were first reported in Turkauliya, Harsiddhi, Sugauli, Raghunathpur and Paharpur areas of the district. Following it, several station house officers were suspended for "dereliction of duties".
Sources said the death toll may further rise as at least a dozen people are battling for their lives at Sadar and different hospitals in the district. The district police have sent nine bodies for post-mortem examinations. The police have so far registered five cases and arrested 174 people as part of the investigation into the matter," said a statement issued by the district police late on Monday night.
The local administration has served notices to seven officials of the state prohibition department, seeking explanations from them in connection with the suspected hooch incident in the district. Huge quantities of spurious liquor and other related chemicals have been seized during searches at more than 600 places in different parts of Motihari since April 15.
The police have so far recovered 1,729.53 litres of country-made liquor, 50 litres of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) spirit and 2,220 litres of other chemicals used in the manufacturing of illicit alcohol during searches at different locations in the district," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on Monday made a U-turn on paying compensation to the victims of hooch tragedies in dry Bihar and announced conditional payment of an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of those who died after drinking spurious liquor since 2016 when the prohibition policy was launched. The state government imposed a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol on April 5, 2016.
Also read: 'Deaths every hour': 71 dead in Bihar hooch tragedy
