M A I N   N E W S

Illicit brew kills 1, blinds 2

BATALA, June 23 (UNI) — One person had lost life, two lost their eye sight and yet another, too, possibility lost vision after consuming illicit brew in the town over the past week, victims and neighbours said today.

The police said it had sent two officials to record the statements of the victims, pending investigation into what might turn out to be an organised crime in the sate illicit liquor in this industrial township of Punjab.

Gopal Kishan, (36) of Bhattawali Gali, told UNI he consumed liquor which he has purchased from a grocery shop at Qazi More on June 16. He started feeling uneasy the next day around afternoon he began vomiting and towards late in the evening his vision got blurred and he lost sight at night. Gopal Kishan is a daily wage earner.

Jagdish Raj, (38), of Chittogarh locality, who works with an iron merchant said on June 18 he bought a quart pouch of liquor for Rs 20 and started similar symptoms. But unlike Gopal Kishan, he lost sight the same night.

Gopal Kishan, who is under treatment at Bajwa Eye Hospital on Qadian road here, said the doctors had slim hope of restoring his vision. Jagdish Raj, after getting treatment from the same hospital, is now under the care of an eminent eye specialist at Amritsar.

Ravinder Kumar Ghani, (45), who too had lost eye sight, however said he had stopped consuming illicit three months ago. But his neighbours in Smadh Gali attributed the loss of vision to the consumption of illicit brew which was freely available through select outlets outside Qazi More and Hathi Gate.

All three localities of Bhattawali Gali, Chittogarh and Smadh Gali are located at the Hathi Gate area.

Residents of the Hathi Gate area said a vendor had died a week ago after consuming illicit brew.

The report of people having lost eye sight has caused alarm among people who are visiting the area because of a “mela” in the memory of Baba Meshi. The police is keeping a strict-vigil.