By Aditya Vaibhav: Nearly 200 people have reportedly died from consuming spurious liquor in Bihar since prohibition was imposed in the state. From the current 199, the figures may swell to 269 if suspected cases are considered.
A state government dossier, accessed by India Today TV, contains a list of 30 cases of hooch tragedy reported from across the state between 2016 and 2023.
The first one to be reported was the notorious Gopalganj hooch tragedy in which 19 people died, triggering 24 dismissals and four pension-related penal actions against local police officers, besides nine death sentences and four life-in-jails for the convicts in the case.
Also Read | Bihar’s Rs 4 lakh aid for families of all hooch victims since 2016
The last case of liquor deaths on the list is the one reported from an area under the Lakri-Naviganj police station area in the Siwan district where seven people died and the station house officer (SHO) was suspended, in addition to a local chowkidar.
The list does not mention the recent Motihari hooch tragedy in which 31 died and around 200 were arrested. 16 police officers, including five SHOs, have been suspended so far in the case.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced Rs 4 lakh as compensation for the families of the victims of the hooch tragedies since April 2016.
This involves a catch – the compensation will be granted only if the families provided in writing, through the district magistrate, details about where the hooch was procured from by the victims before their deaths.
Also Read | 11 dead, several critical after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar’s Motihari
