Siwan Hooch Tragedy: Death Toll Rises To 5; 16 Arrested For Supplying Spurious Liquor To Villagers

Bihar makes it to the headlines yet once again with the poorly implemented alcohol ban that has driven to another hooch tragedy. In the recent most reported case, the consumption of spurious liquor in the Bala village of Siwan district in Bihar contributed to a death toll of five on January 23. The toll is suspected to increase in the dry state, as seven more people were also taken ill after allegedly consuming the alcohol and are currently undergoing treatment at a government hospital.

50 Litres Of Spirit Confiscated

According to a statement by the District Magistrate official, those who have fallen ill in the alleged Siwan hooch tragedy are currently undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital. They further noted that the death toll due to spurious liquor consumption would likely increase in the coming days. A probe has been initiated in the case, and as many as 16 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Among them, two were caught with 50 litres of spirit in possession.

According to the statement issued by the Bihar Police, "twelve people were admitted to the district hospital in Siwan around 7 pm on Sunday (January 22) after they complained of stomach pain, nausea and dizziness." One person was declared dead as soon as he reached the hospital, and two died when they were taken to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) from the Siwan facility. On January 23, two more died on their way to the Patna hospital. The remaining seven people are undergoing treatment at the district hospital and are currently out of threat.

Team Leaves For Kolkata As Part Of Investigation

Additional Director General of Police JS Gangwar said that the custodial interrogation of the sixteen people and the prime accused Sandeep Chouhan and his brother Deepak has started. A report by NDTV quoted him saying that the two prime accused had brought spirit from Kolkata via Muzaffarpur, claiming it would be used to make sanitiser. The brothers then sold the spirit to five people in Siwan, which then led to the hooch tragedy. A team of officers from Bihar have left for Kolkata to arrest the supplier, and searches to arrest the others involved in the trade are underway.

A district administration official has stated that the exact cause of death would be ascertained only once they receive the post-mortem report. The initial observations drawn, however, lead the investigation to spurious liquor consumption. The sale and consumption of alcohol have been banned in the state since 2016, when the Nitish Kumar-led government came to power. The ban boomeranged and led many villagers to depend on adulterated alcohol, which has proved deadly. Previously in December last year, spurious liquor claimed the lives of over 50 people in Chhapra and at least five people died in the Siwan district.

After repeated hooch tragedies, angry family members of the deceased took to the streets and obstructed the Siwan-Chapra Malmalia main road in protest. It paved the way for an uproar at the state and national levels against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who in turn controversially stated, "Piyoge toh maroge" (If you drink you will die).

Also Read: Hooch Tragedy: Spurious Liquid Claims Lives Of 39, Furthers Questions On Effectiveness Of Bihar's Liquor Ban