Death toll rises to 66 in Bihar’s Chhapra hooch tragedy

The death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra hooch tragedy has mounted to 66. The incident was initially reported on Wednesday.

The sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.

By India Today Web Desk: The death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra due to the consumption of spurious liquor has mounted to 66. The incident was initially reported on Wednesday. The sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.

As the death toll is feared to increase, Lok Janshakti Party (R) supremo and MP Chirag Paswan demanded the registering of an FIR against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the Chapra hooch tragedy.

Chirag Paswan said that he did not consider that the people who have lost their lives in the hooch tragedy had simply died, adding that it is a case of murder for which he held the Bihar CM responsible.

Also Read | ‘Liquor is like God in Bihar, it’s there but you can’t see it’: Giriraj Singh on Chhapra hooch tragedy

Bihar CM Nitish loses cool in Assembly

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his cool inside the Assembly when BJP MLAs tried to target him over the Chhapra hooch tragedy in which 66 people have died till now.

“Kya ho Gaya, jehrili sharab, halla kar rahe ho tum log,” said Nitish Kumar inside the assembly. The JDU leader was also seen gesturing to BJP MLAs to be quiet.

This happened when a discussion was happening on issues like the hooch tragedy and the lathicharge on job aspirants in Patna.

Also Read | Chhapra deaths: How hooch tragedies have stalked dry Bihar

Nitish Kumar govt banned sale, consumption of alcohol in April 2016

Bihar imposed a complete prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state in April 2016, a move that won a significant number of women voters often seen to be victims of domestic violence at the hands of drunk men.

But the state continues to witness liquor sales on the black market and deaths owing to the consumption of locally made spurious liquor.

The family members of the deceased persons in Chhapra claimed that their relatives died due to the consumption of poisonous liquor. The incident took place in the Doila village of Isuapur police station area and Yadu Mor of Mashrak police station area.