This story is from April 3, 2021

Suspected hooch claims 3 more lives in Nawada

Suspected hooch claims 3 more lives in Nawada
PATNA: The state government has sent a special team from Patna to Nawada where three more persons died of suspected hooch poisoning on Friday, taking the toll to 15 in the district since Holi on Monday. However, Nawada district administration claimed only 11 deaths so far and, too, due to various other reasons.
CM Nitish Kumar on Friday said the special team will inquire into the deaths in Nawada.
“I have asked the senior authorities about these deaths. Officers in Nawada are giving statements but keeping in view the news being published in newspapers, a special team from Patna has been sent there to look into each and every aspect and take necessary action required in the matter,” Nitish said.
Meanwhile, the deceased on Friday included an 18-year-old Akash Kumar from Gondapur village. ‘Heart attack’ was mentioned as the reason for his death in the inquest report prepared after his body was brought to the Sadar hospital for postmortem.
The two others who died of suspected hooch poisoning were Ramdhani Sao, 50, from Kanhai Nagar and Munna Kumar of New Area. While Akash and Ramdhani died in Nawada, Munna passed away during treatment at a private hospital in Patna.
The postmortem of Ramdhani and Akash was conducted at Nawada Sadar hospital and that of Munna at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital in Patna.
When asked, Nawada civil surgeon Dr Akhilesh Kumar Mohan told TOI over the phone that there was a very remote possibility of an 18-year-old’s death due to heart attack. “Police had filled up the reason of death as heart attack in the inquest report while completing necessary documentation for postmortem. His body was brought with Ramdhani for postmortem in connection with the suspected
hooch deaths. Their viscera have been preserved,” Dr Mohan said.
When contacted, Nawada SP Dhurat Saayli Savlaram admitted that the boy’s family members had told the police about his liquor consumption. “The family members might have initially mentioned heart attack. However, they later gave a written statement that Akash had consumed liquor. We will be going by whatever has been given in writing to the police,” she said.
In reply to other queries, the SP said the official suspected death count is 11 out of which three on Friday. “Out of the 11 deaths, the family members of five persons have submitted in writing that they had consumed liquor. On the basis of their written complaints, five separate FIRs have been registered against unknown persons with the Town police station,” the SP said.
DM Yash Pal Meena could not be contacted over his official cellphone number as didn’t pick up the first call and disconnected the second one. On Thursday evening, his official cellphone was found to be switched off.
Complete prohibition was declared in the state on April 5, 2016. The deaths started taking place during Holi. Besides Nawada, two suspected deaths from hooch poisoning have also been reported from Begusarai and five from Rohtas during Holi. Investigation in all the cases was going on.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA