Nawada hooch tragedy: After only five initial arrests, police yet to nab others

PATNA: After only five initial arrests, police have not been able to nab anyone else in connection with the deaths of 16 persons and illness of ten more from poisonous hooch in Nawada town which took place one after another from the day of Holi.
Surprisingly, police said that it was yet not clear who had supplied raw spirit for manufacturing the poisonous liquor.
Police had arrested Pappu Yadav, Suraj alias Karpu Choudhary, Minta Devi and her son Anil Choudhary for their alleged involvement in the hooch deaths on April 5.
Next day, police claimed the arrest of kingpin Arvind Yadav from Kolkata. Police said that it was Arvind who had manufactured the poisonous hooch at Kharidi Bigha village looking especially at Holi festival.
All 16 deaths were of villagers who hailed from Kharidi Bigha, Gondapur, Siswan, Budhaul, Kanhai Nagar and New area, all under the Town police station area of Nawada.
Town SHO TN Tiwari, Budhaul chowkidar Vikash Kumar Mishra besides excise department sub-inspector Nagendra Prasad are those suspended for the deaths till now.
When asked, Nawada SP Dhurat Saayli Savlaram told TOI over phone on Friday that other accused fled after the news leaked in the media about Arvind’s arrest from Kolkata.
“It made things little difficult for us to nab other accused as they also keep reading newspapers,” the SP cited the reason for police being unable to make more arrests in hooch deaths till now.
She said that police are onto the task of arresting all those involved in the crime.
Replying to queries, Nawada sadar SDPO Upendra Prasad told this newspaper that at least ten more persons are yet to be arrested in connection with the hooch deaths.
“All of them are from neighbouring areas of Nawada town. It is yet not clear who had supplied the raw materials mainly spirit to Arvind for manufacturing the hooch. Police are awaiting test reports to know if methyl alcohol, poisonous for humans, was used in hooch,” he said.
SPDO said that Arvind has not made things clear what was supplied to him and by whom.
Meanwhile, Town police station SHO (in-charge) Narottam Kumar said that Arvind was already evading arrest in connection with a liquor smuggling and manufacturing case registered in July last year.
“At least 5000 litres of raw spirit were recovered by police from his residence at Kharidi Bigha that time,” he said.
SHO said that Arvind had manufactured the hooch especially looking at the Holi festival.
“In course of interrogation, he didn’t make clear from where he had procured raw spirit for manufacturing the liquor. We are trying to know those details,” he added.