Bihar: 15 suspected hooch deaths in Saran in 3 days, SHO axed

PATNA/CHHAPRA: At least 15 people have died allegedly due to consumption of poisonous liquor under Maker, Amnour and Marhoura blocks of Saran district in the last three days. The deaths in Saran have come close on the heels of 13 people losing their lives after consuming spurious liquor in Nalanda district earlier this week.
Saran SP Santosh Kumar, however, confirmed only four suspected hooch deaths in Jagdishpur village.“We have suspended Maker police station SHO Rajesh Prasad and Jagdishpur village chowkidar Ganesh Manjhi. Police have also arrested four people, including liquor supplier Birendra Mahto alias Maina Mahto and Rohit Kumar in this connection. The main liquor supplier, Munna Mahto, the brother of Birendra, is absconding. An FIR has been lodged against 12 people with Maker police station,” the SP told TOI.
He said the family members of the four deceased suspected that they died after consuming spurious liquor. Their postmortem reports are awaited. Three of the victims had been cremated before police came to know about the incident. Their family members, however, said they were ill. He said four of the deceased were from Jagdishpur village.
Saran MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, in his letter to state home secretary on Friday, mentioned 15 deaths and demanded a thorough probe from the district administration.
Rudy said Saran DM has accepted that symptoms of vomiting and pain in abdomen had been common in all cases.
Home secretary K Senthil Kumar, along with excise commissioner B Kartikey Dhanji and ADG (law & order) Sanjay Singh reached Chhapra on Friday and instructed the officials concerned to trace the liquor smugglers and any more suspects undergoing treatment after consuming spurious liquor in the district.
According to locals, the diseased have been identified as Jawahar Mahto and Rajesh Sharma of Karnpura, Munna Singh (35) of Jamalpur and Bhulan Manjhi (75) of Kolhua under Marhoura police station area, Banayee Singh of Tara Amnour, Braj Bihari Rai of Ketuka Nandan and Bharat Rai of Naukada under Maker police station area, Sukhal Mahto and Dhanejar Rai of Sutihar BinTola, Virendra Thakur and Sampat Mahto of Amnour, Krishna Mahto (45)of Parmanand Chhapra, Ram Nath Rai and Mohammad Isha of Narsinghpur under Amnour police station area and Anil Mistri of Basantpur in Siwan. Anil had come to his relative’s place in Maker.
Though the district administration had claimed that Virendra Thakur of Amnour died of cold, his wife told mediapersons on Friday that he had gone to sleep after consuming liquor on Tuesday night and fell ill. He died on Thursday.
Ajay Singh of Tara Amnour, who has lost his vision, said he had consumed liquor bought from Jagdishpur market on Tuesday.