NEW DELHI, Oct 18: With the deaths of 10 more persons on Friday, the death toll in the hooch tragedy in Siwan and Saran districts in Bihar has risen to 35, officials said.
While the political blame game over the hooch tragedy intensified, the police said nearly 100 people have been arrested across both districts after the incident, including illegal liquor suppliers and smugglers.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Saran range, Nilesh Kumar told media persons, “Twenty-eight deaths were reported from Siwan and seven from Saran.” Director-General of Police Alok Raj had earlier in the day said: “Two Special Investigation Teams have been set up. One team operating at the district-level will focus on criminal aspects of the incident while the other team from the Department of Prohibition will study similar cases across the State to devise a strategy to prevent such incidents.”
Senior district police officials said as many as 99 persons, including liquor suppliers and smugglers have been arrested from the districts of Siwan and Saran. “Over 2,500 litres of illegal liquor too have been seized in multiple raids conducted by the police in both the districts in the past last 24 hours”, they added.
“Over 30 people who consumed spurious liquor two to three days ago are still admitted in the Siwan government hospital,” said a senior doctor of the hospital, adding that “critical cases are being referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital”. In Siwan, police were seen using loudspeakers to urge people to keep away from liquor.
As the political blame game over the tragedy intensified, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that the prohibition efforts in Bihar was a “super flop.” The Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly also termed the hooch tragedies as “mass murders” and asked if the “Chief Minister-cum-Home Minister would take responsibility for such deaths.” Mr Yadav also put forth 12 questions to Mr Kumar, claiming that “nexus between politicians, the police and liquor mafia has resulted in a flourishing illegal liquor trade worth ₹30,000 crore every year.” The RJD leader also alleged that “more than 300 people have died in the State due to consumption of spurious liquor since April 2016 when prohibition came into force.”
The newly-formed Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor alleged that hundreds of people have died due to prohibition in the State “because of the sheer arrogance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who was not ready to end the liquor ban.” “Prohibition in Bihar has led to innovative practices such as home delivery of liquor, akin to services offered by Amazon and Flipkart, because liquor shops are shut,” charged Mr Kishor.
However, Bihar BJP chief and Revenue and Land Reforms Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal countered, “Prohibition is essential for reducing crime, particularly against women and those responsible for the hooch tragedy in Siwan and Saran will be brought to justice.” Mr Jaiswal also reiterated the State government’s “commitment to continue the liquor ban for the safety and well-being of its citizens.” He condemned those calling for removal of the liquor ban, saying “such people have ties with liquor mafias.”
According to police data, in 2023, over 10,000 litres of liquor — both country made and Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) — was seized in dry Bihar daily. “The police registered 72,062 First Information Reports [FIRs] and arrested 1.43 lakh persons while seizing 17,183 vehicles [trucks and containers] loaded with illegal liquor in the State,” Additional-Director General of Police (Headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar had said while releasing the data in January. He added that the number of FIRs registered in liquor-related cases in 2023 was 25% lower and the number of arrests went down 16% than 2022, but the volume of illegal liquor seized in 2023 was 19% higher. “From November 2016 to November 2023, as many as 1,522 people were convicted in 1,215 liquor-related cases,” Mr Gangwar had added.
The police have constituted 180 anti-liquor task force teams and 25 sniffer dog squads, deployed drones and speedboats, besides installing CCTV cameras and scanners at check-points, to crack down illegal liquor traders in the State. However, liquor bottles and pouches continue to be easily available in every nook and cranny of the State. They are mostly smuggled from the neighbouring States of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Punjab, Haryana as well as Nepal which also borders the State.
(Manas Dasgupta)
