12 dead, 7 ill in MP after consuming spurious liquor

IN-CHARGE OF THE POLICE STATION HAS BEEN SUSPENDED AFTER THE INCIDENT, SAID STATE

HOME MINISTER

BHOPAL/MORENA: At least 12 people died and seven others fell seriously ill after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district, police said on Tuesday.

This is the second such incident in the state within the last three months.

“12 persons died and seven others seriously fell ill after drinking suspected spurious liquor (in Morena district),” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rajesh Hingankar was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

He added that a case has been registered under section 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 34 and 91 of the Excise Act.

Few persons have also been rounded up for investigation into the case, the DIG said.

Morena Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania said that preliminary reports indicated that some villagers consumed a white coloured liquor.

“On Monday night, ten people from Manpur and Pahawali villages died after consuming suspected spurious liquor,” he said.

Eight others fell ill and they were referred to Gwalior for treatment, he said. Two others died later during treatment, he added.

The postmortem is underway and whether the liquor was poisonous or not will be ascertained after the autopsy reports come, the official said.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said a police official has been suspended in the wake of the incident.

“The incident of deaths caused by drinking poisonous liquor in Morena is very sad and painful. The in-charge of the police station concerned has been suspended. A separate team is also being sent for investigation,” Mishra posted on Twitter.

Those responsible for the incident will not be spared, he added.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath referred to the “liquor mafia” in the state to hit out at the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led state government over the incident.

“Liquor mafia continues to wreak havoc, after killing 16 in Ujjain, now they have killed about 10 people in Morena,” Nath tweeted.

“Shivraj ji, how long will the liquor mafia keep killing people like this? The government should provide proper treatment to the sick and help the affected families in every way possible,” he posted on the micro-blogging site.

The Congress leader also alleged that the chief minister has been making false tall claims about action against the mafias.

Meanwhile, Manoj Sharma, Inspector General of Chambal range, said that officials are yet to confirm if the liquor was poisonous in nature.