41 dead after drinking illicit liquor in Punjab

AMRITSAR: At least 41 people have died in three districts in Punjab after reportedly drinking spurious liquor over two days, prompting CM Amarinder Singh to order a magisterial probe, officials said on Friday.

The deaths took place in Punjab’s Amritsar, Batala and Tarn Taran districts since Wednesday night, according to a statement by the government. The youngest of the victims was believed to be in his early twenties and the oldest 80 years old. Among the dead was the husband of a woman who has been arrested for selling the suspect liquor.

On Friday, five people died in Batala, taking the death toll in the city to seven, DGP Dinkar

Gupta said, adding that four fatalities were reported from Tarn Taran.

Chief minister Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry by the divisional commissioner, Jalandhar, into the deaths.

Police have arrested Balwinder Kaur, a resident of Muchhal village, under Section 304 of the IPC (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and under provisions of the Excise Act, the DGP said.

The CM has promised strict action against anyone found complicit and directed police to launch a search operation to crack down on any spurious liquor manufacturing unit operating in the state.

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday registered a case against actor Rhea Chakraborty and some members of her family in connection with the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, 34, officials said. Politicians across party lines, the police and governments of two states, and the former girlfriend — all waded into the mystery and controversy surrounding the death of Rajput on June 14 which has moved on from theories and investigations into how nepotism in Bollywood may have claimed the life of the talented actor to allegations of a criminal conspiracy involving his girlfriend at the time of his death.