Nawada hooch deaths: Axe falls on SHO and chowkidar

PATNA: Nawada Town police station SHO TN Tiwari and Budhaul village chowkidar Vikash Kumar Mishra have been suspended for dereliction of duty over the 16 suspected hooch deaths in the district since Holi on Monday. The official death figure is 15.
The suspensions were ordered on Saturday night after the special team constituted to probe into the incident found spurious liquor as the prima facie cause of deaths in Gondapur, Kharidi Bigha, Budhaul, Kanhai Nagar and New Area under Town police station area of Nawada.
When asked, Nawada SP Dhurat Saayli Savlaram told TOI over the phone on Sunday that action against the SHO was taken after she submitted a report to Magadh range IG Amit Lodha on the overall scenario, recommending his suspension.
“The SHO failed to check smuggling as well as manufacturing of country liquor in his area. Besides, there were some old complaints against him, too,” she said.
The SP said inquiry was on against at least five more police officers posted at Town police station as they had been given specific role to keep an eye on liquor smuggling on Holi. “Action may be taken against them, too, soon. Raids are going on to nab those who had manufactured and sold the poisonous hooch,” Savlaram said.
The SP said death reports started coming on March 31. “Several of them were already ill by then and were undergoing treatment at different places. Some were ill since March 28 and a few deaths had also taken place on March 29,” the SP said.
“Had police come to know about their illness on time, steps would have been taken for the treatment of those who had consumed liquor,” she said.
Savlaram said police came to know about four to five deaths on March 31. “Then we started looking into the incidents,” she said.
Savlaram said at least two persons have developed partial blindness and were undergoing treatment outside Nawada. “Some suspects are being quizzed about th manufacturing of liquor,” she added.
Town SHO (incharge) Uma Shankar said seven persons, including some women, have been detained from interrogation. “Eleven plastic pouches from which liquor was consumed were seized from the house of one Manti Devi of Budhaul. She is also among those detained,” Shankar said.
Meanwhile, Mithilesh Pandey, whose close friend Sanoj Mishra also died of poisonous hooch on March 31, told TOI over the phone on Sunday from Nawada that action should be taken against the DM and SP over the hooch deaths. “Both kept covering up the hooch deaths by citing different reasons like diarrhoea or other illnesses. They are the biggest culprits. They must be removed. Action has been taken only against small fish,” he said.
Pandey said common people in Nawada were continuously venting their anger on social media against the DM and SP.
Excise SI suspended
An excise department sub-inspector, Nagendra Prasad, was also suspended on Sunday over the hooch deaths in Nawada where he was posted. Excise department deputy commissioner Krishna Kumar said Prasad was suspended on the recommendation of Nawada DM. He said Prasad was the in-charge of the town area in Nawada for prohibition enforcement.