Agra hooch deaths: 9 cops, 4 excise men suspended

The visit of senior officials to the villages in the rural belt here and viscera reports on Wednesday night made it clear that the 10 people who died after consuming liqour in the past three days were hooch victims. The viscera report of four of the deceased revealed presence of poisonous methyl alcohol in the liquor consumed.

Subsequently, additional director general (Agra zone) Rajeev Krishna ordered suspension of nine policemen, including station house officers (SHO) of three police stations under which these three villages, facing overall 10 deaths, are situated. FIRS are being registered in all three police stations for sale of spurious liquor from vends.

The excise department also acted after the state government took cognizance of the deaths and regional excise inspector and three beat constables were suspended on orders by Sanjay R Bhoosreddy, additional chief secretary (excise) in Lucknow. Departmental action has been ordered against district excise officer and excise inspector.

To note, three people died after consuming liquor in Kaulara Kala village on Monday night and one person died in Barkula village. Post mortem examination of only two could be conducted as the other two were cremated by families.

This was followed by four deaths, again after consumption of liquor, in Deori village on Tuesday. Again, the local police were in denial mode despite villagers blaming the deaths on hooch.

Two more deaths took place in Garhi Jahan on Wednesday while a team of police and administrative officers was on a visit to the affected villages.

The ADG, along with commissioner Agra division, ordered to expedite viscera report and it confirmed presence of methyl alcohol in all four samples available. As the other six people died under similar circumstances, thus all 10 deaths were considered as hooch deaths.

“Report of the forensic lab based on viscera samples in four cases has confirmed presence of methyl alcohol, leading to the conclusion that these 10 deaths were because of spurious liquor. The in charge of Tajganj, Doki and Shamshabad police stations, beside 6 other policemen have been suspended and recommendation has been made for suspension of two excise inspectors and three beat excise cops,” said the ADG.