Police say deceased’s kin planned murder

JAIPUR: The death of five people in Bhilwara district, which was suspected to have been caused by illicit liquor on January 29, has turned out to be a case of murder after the arrest of one accused, police said on Sunday.

The accused adulterated the liquor with pesticides to kill his uncle. The four others also drank the same and died, police said. “Initially, the deaths seemed to be related to poisonous alcohol. Later, the excise lab report revealed that the alcohol was not poisonous, instead it was laced with pesticide. A forensic science lab test of the alcohol also revealed the same,” said Bhilwara superintendent of police (SP) Vikas Sharma.

On the basis of the reports, police started investigating the matter and arrested Vinod Kanjar, 20, of Mandalgarh late on

Saturday, he said.

“The accused told us during interrogation that his uncle Gulla Kanjar, who was involved in illicit liquor business, used to assault his mother and aunt. Upset over this, he planned to kill his uncle,” the SP said.

The investigation revealed that Vinod mixed the pesticide in the bottle of Gulla, who was a habitual drinker. “Gulla didn’t like the taste of the liquor. Instead of throwing it, he poured it in the furnace in which illicit liquor was being prepared. Others, including the mother of the accused, also drank the same liquor and they died,” Sharma said.

The police said that before executing the plan on his uncle, Vinod had experimented the same formula on pigeons.

On January 29, five persons died and five others were admitted to a hospital after consuming hooch in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot condoled the deaths and announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

The state government had also come down heavily on officials. Local police circle officer Vinod Kumar, station house officer Manoj Kumar Jat, local police beat in-charge Jagdish Chandra, constable Shivraj, assistant excise officer Mahipal Singh, excise inspector Vikas Chandra Sharma and five other district excise employees were suspended.