Death toll rises to 38 in Gujarat’s spurious liquor incident

Bhatia said that the police have started investigation and three FIRs have been registered against 14 main culprits under sections 302 (murder), 328 (causing hurt by poison) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Police so far

Police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav told Reuters: “Some of the people admitted to the hospital were in critical condition, who died overnight.”

“He had consumed methyl alcohol, which was almost unadulterated, believing it to be alcohol.”

What is the Hooch tragedy?

The sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, except for those holding government permits.

Deaths from illegally produced alcohol, popularly called hooch or country liquor, are common in India, where some drinkers can purchase branded spirits.

Methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol, is unsafe for human consumption and is used in products ranging from paint thinners to fuels, pesticides and anti-freeze.

The liquor incident in Gujarat came to light on Monday morning when some people living in Rozid village of Botad and other nearby villages were referred to government hospitals in Barwala area and Botad towns after their health deteriorated.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Home Department has constituted a three-member committee headed by senior IPS officer Subhash Trivedi to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident and submit a report within three days, a state government release said.

The other two members of the committee are the Director of Prohibition and Excise, M.A. Gandhi and the director of the Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory are HP Sanghvi. Police investigation so far has revealed that a man named Jayesh alias Raju stole 600 liters of methyl alcohol from a godown in Ahmedabad, where he works as a manager, and then passed it on to his Botad’s cousin Sanjay. sold. 40,000 on July 25, Bhatia said.

The DGP said, “Knowing that it is an industrial solvent, Sanjay sold that chemical to liquor smugglers from different villages of Botad. These liquor smugglers mixed the chemical with water and gave it to the people in the form of country liquor. sold to.”

According to the FIR lodged at Barwala police station in Botad, on July 25, chemical-laden hooch was sold in pouches to several people in Rosid, Ranpari, Chandrava, Devgana, Chokdi and a few other villages.

The dead included people from neighboring Dhandhuka taluka of Ahmedabad district as they had come to Botad to drink alcohol. In Rozid village of Barwala taluka, the epicenter of the tragedy, a bootlegger named Gajuben Vadaria told the police that he had bought 20 liters of methanol for it. The FIR states that one pintu sold 2,000 from Devipuzak and mixed water in it to several people.

“Blood samples of the deceased confirmed that they had consumed methanol. We have seized 460 liters of that chemical so far. Following a crackdown on the makers of illicit liquor, bootleggers sourced this finished chemical from other sources. Had decided to acquire and sell it as country liquor by just adding water,” Bhatia said.

During the day, Gujarat Congress President Jagdish Thakor along with Leader of Opposition Sukhram Rathwa visited Sir Takhtsinhji General Hospital in Bhavnagar and met those undergoing treatment.

Thakor demanded that the next of kin of each of the deceased be given compensation. 10 lakh and said that the opposition party has sought an appointment with the Governor of Gujarat to represent him on the issue.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also visited the hospital in Bhavnagar and attacked the BJP government, claiming that it had failed to strictly implement the prohibition policy.

Kejriwal, who is visiting Gujarat ahead of the assembly elections due later this year, demanded compensation for the kin of the deceased and those undergoing treatment.

Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani said that this is not the time for politics. “At this time people should stand apart from the victims,” ​​the BJP leader said.

(with inputs from agencies)

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