NHRC NOTICE TO BIHAR GOVT, DGP OVER SPURIOUS LIQUOR DEATHS

NEW DELHI: The NHRC has issued a notice to the Bihar government and the state’s police chief in connection with the hooch tragedy in Aurangabad and Gaya districts, officials said on Wednesday.

The National Human Rights Commission in a statement said it has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that at least six persons have died and 12 fallen ill after consuming spurious liquor in Aurangabad and Gaya districts of Bihar. Reportedly, earlier, in a similar incident in Madhepura, a number of people had died in the recent past, it said.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, amount to violation of human rights.

“Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police, Bihar, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks, including action taken against the guilty and steps taken/proposed to be taken to check such painful incidents in future,” it said.

In spite of this, a number of people have died in different parts of the state due to consumption of spurious liquor, it said. Apparently, the law enforcing agencies have not been able to successfully implement the provisions of the law as a result the perpetrators are indulging in unlawful manufacturing and sale of illicit liquor causing irrevocable loss to the families of the victims, the rights panel said. Sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April, 2016.

Implementation, though, has remained marred by rampant illicit liquor trade.