Consumption of illegally fermented and spurious liquor is believed to have caused the death of 12 people in a Bihar village early on Friday morning, though authorities are yet to confirm either the exact number or the cause. Seven others were hospitalised in grave condition.
While the police in Bhojpur district said nine bodies, three of them women’s, were sent for an autopsy and reports were yet to reach them, unconfirmed reports said as many as 12 people, most of them belonging to dalit communities, were killed within hours of drinking the virulent liquor. The deaths occurred at Anaith village near Ara, the headquarters town of the south-central district.
Coming less than two weeks after the Bihar government observed prohibition day and chief minister Nitish Kumar vowed to take steps to discourage consumption of liquor, the deaths sparked off public anger in Ara. Protesters blocked the Ara-Sasaram road for some time, accusing the police of patronising hooch traders. In October, illicit liquor had caused the death of about 12 people in Muzaffarpur district.
Although DIGP (Shahabad range) Ajitabh Kumar initially said the deaths did not occur by consuming hooch, he formed a team of police and excise officials to probe the deaths after autopsy reports came in. Sources said a raid ordered after the deaths led to the seizure of 2,000 pouches of illicit liquor.
“This is an unfortunate incident. We will soon send an official to probe. Similar deaths also occurred in West Bengal recently,” said Bihar excise and prohibition minister Bijendra Yadav.