The tragic Sagar hooch incident in Madhya Pradesh has seen the death toll climb to 13, prompting a massive police crackdown on bootleggers and an ongoing investigation into the supply of spurious liquor.
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Key Points
- The death toll in the Sagar hooch tragedy in Madhya Pradesh has tragically risen to 13.
- The police have arrested 14 individuals and registered three FIRs in connection with the spurious liquor incident.
- Authorities have launched a major crackdown on bootleggers and are investigating a suspected liquor supply link from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh.
- Three excise officials and two police personnel have been suspended following the incident.
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered a comprehensive probe, vowing that no guilty person will be spared.
The death toll in the Sagar hooch tragedy in Madhya Pradesh rose to 13 after one more person died on Monday afternoon, while around 96 people were undergoing treatment at four hospitals, seven of whom were in critical condition, officials said.
All those who died were men in the 30-50 age group, Sagar collector Pratibha Pal told PTI over phone.
“The post mortem of the deceased point to suspected poisoning. We have sent the viscera for testing for more details,” she said.
Asked about reports pegging the death toll at 22 to 24, she said the administration was going by the rules and the post mortem reports.
A senior doctor treating the victims, on condition of anonymity, said 96 people were being treated at four facilities, seven of whom were critical.
Seven to eight persons were admitted to Banda Civil Hospital, around 70 at Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMCH) and 17 at the district hospital, while one person was airlifted to Bhopal, he said.
Rising Death Toll And Medical Status
Two dozen people were discharged earlier in the day, the official said.
Asked about the suspected cause of deaths, the doctor said the liquor may have been laced with methanol instead of ethanol.
“Methanol causes blurred vision. Most of those who came to us, including those who died, complained of blurred vision. Some others came gasping for breath,” the doctor said, adding that some patients responded to fluids and began passing urine.
Meanwhile, police have arrested 14 of the 30 people named as accused in three FIRs registered in connection with the tragedy, Collector Pal said.
Eleven people had died on Sunday after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in two villages of Banda tehsil, about 30 km from the Sagar district headquarters. Many of those who fell ill complained of blurred vision and dizzines.
Investigation And Official Action
The police and the excise department have launched a major crackdown on bootleggers after gathering inputs, Pal said, adding that revenue department teams, along with village representatives, were going door-to-door to check whether people were possessing liquor bottles.
The police are also investigating a suspected link between some persons in Lalitpur in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and the local liquor contractor, Sagar Range deputy inspector general of police Shashindra Chouhan said.
Pal had said on Sunday that a preliminary investigation indicated that the liquor had been supplied from Lalitpur.
“There is a gang in Lalitpur that supplies this kind of poisonous liquor. Since this area is adjacent to Uttar Pradesh, this has come to light in the preliminary investigation,” she had said.
Authorities had suspended three excise officials and two police personnel in connection with the tragedy.
