Bihar hooch deaths: Two policemen suspended, 21 held            

Two police personnel were suspended and 21 people, including seven women, were arrested in connection with a hooch tragedy in Siwan, Saran and Gopalganj districts of dry Bihar, officials said on Sunday.

Thirty-seven people lost their lives after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in the three districts, they said.

“The station house officer of Mashrakh Police Station and another police official posted at Bhagwanpur post have been suspended for dereliction of duty pertaining to the suspected hooch deaths in their area of jurisdiction.

“The administrations of Siwan and Saran districts have already suspended three chowkidars of Maghar, Auriya and Ibrahimpur areas following the incident,” Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Saran Range, Nilesh Kumar told PTI.

As many as 28 people in Maghar and Auriya panchayats in Siwan district have died since October 16 after consuming suspected illicit liquor.

Seven people in Ibrahimpur area under the jurisdiction of Mashrakh Police Station in Saran district and two in Gopalganj died due to the “consumption of illicit liquor”, another official said.

The total death toll in all three districts falling under the Saran range was 37, he said.

The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government imposed a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol on 5 April 2016.

“The police have arrested 21 accused (13 in Siwan and eight in Saran) in connection with the latest hooch deaths. Of them, seven are women, who were part of the manufacturing and supply chain of illicit liquor in the two districts.

“We have also established a money trail of several lakhs linked to illegal supply and manufacturing of illicit liquor in these districts and collected crucial digital evidence in this regard,” the DIG said.

A separate case will be registered against the accused under the provisions of the money-laundering Act by the competent authority, he said.

Soon after the suspected hooch tragedy in three districts, the police have been conducting searches in their respective areas of jurisdiction, the DIG said.

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad on Sunday told reporters, “The incident is very tragic. There seems to be no government in Bihar”.