Top cops, officials visit Saran after hooch deaths
The district has reported 15 deaths from various villages allegedly due to hooch consumption over the last three days
Top officials of Bihar government on Saturday visited Chapra, the headquarter town of Saran district, which has reported 15 deaths from various villages allegedly due to hooch consumption over the last three days.
The tragedy has come only days after 13 hooch deaths reported from Nalanda, the native district of chief minister Nitish Kumar, whose government imposed total ban on liquor in Bihar in April 2016.
Home secretary K Senthil Kumar, additional director general (ADG) of police (law and order) Sanjay Singh and inspector general of police (prohibition) Amrit Raj visited Chapra on Saturday and took stock of the situation.
ADG Singh said the deaths prima facie were because of hooch. “However, some deaths have also been reported due to cold,” he said.
Saran’s superintendent of police (SP) Santosh Kumar said a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the deaths. “In areas under Amanuar and Maker police stations, where most of the alleged hooch deaths took place, we have constituted separate teams,” he said.
Kumar said 158 people have been arrested so far.
Meanwhile, Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan visited Amnaur and met with the victims’ families. Talking to reporters, Chirag said his party has written to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan, urging him to recommend President’s Rule in Bihar to prevent such tragedies.
