Sagar Hooch Toll Hits ‘Unofficial’ 22; 30 in Hospital, Magisterial Probe Ordered
The official death figure however is put at 12.
Bhopal: The death toll in the hooch tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district rose to 22 on Monday after spurious liquor claimed 11 more lives.
The official death figure however is put at 12.
Meanwhile, Sagar district collector on Monday ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
A notification issued in this regard on Monday evening said that the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Jaisi Nagar in Sagar district, has been asked to probe the incident and submit a report.
The terms of conditions of the magisterial probe included the circumstance in which the tragedy occurred, the cause of the incident, and those responsible for it.
This apart, the SDM has been asked to probe if the deaths were caused by consumption of spurious liquor and the sources of the killer alcohol.
According to Sagar district collector Pratibha Pal, the deaths occurred in three villages-Nauraj, and Gugra Khurd under Shahgarh tehsil and Bamura under Banda tehsil- on the intervening night of September four and five, due to consumption of suspected substandard and illicit liquor.
The deceased included a father-son duo.
Govind Lodhi and his son Ram Prasad Lodhi died on Sunday due to alleged consumption of spurious liquor, while Ram Prasad’s younger brother Bhurre Lodhi is battling for his life in a hospital.
Officials said that 25-30 people who fell sick after consuming suspected toxic liquor have been admitted to different hospitals.
Deputy chief minister Dr. Rajendra Shukla who holds the health portfolio visited the sick people in different hospitals and held a high-level meeting with the district officials to review the situation.
In another development, 14 of 30 persons named as accused in FIRs lodged in connection with the incident have been arrested.
According to Sagar range deputy inspector general of police Shasindra Chouhan, three separate FIRs have been registered on complaints by victims’ kin.
