The move follows reports that following the arrack ban, on July 1, 2007, there’s been some pilferage of methanol in the State, an extremely dangerous piece of information because methanol if mixed in liquor can turn into hooch, a fatal drink. Karnataka hasn’t got over the 2004 hooch tragedy, in which 44 people died in various places in the State, such as Bidarkal in Bangalore urban, Bagey in Sakleshpur taluk and Channarayapatna, after they consumed methanol-laced arrack. The deadly chemical was reportedly stolen en route to Mangalore.
Highly placed sources in the government revealed that there’s information of a possible pilferage of methanol again, after the arrack ban and immediate steps need to be taken to make the punishment clause for misuse of any of the controlled chemicals listed in the Poisons Rule, more stringent.
The Drug Controller, the licensing authority under the rules is authorised only to sanction licence to chemical dealers, to procure, stock and sell chemicals falling under the Poisons Rules. “We don’t have any jurisdiction over the transportation of these chemicals. It is for the police department to check and book cases,” said an officer of the Drug Control Department.
The Drug Controller met with some police and State excise officials to chalk out the recommendations for making the rules more stringent. “We will submit the proposal to the government shortly. The amendment is necessary to control dangerous chemicals including methanol and cyanide,” he added.
Potassium Cyanide (KCN) is also listed among the 69 chemicals in the Poisons Rule. A chemical dealer has to be licensed by the Drug Controller to procure, sell and stock KCN. Then how did Mallika the alleged cyanide killer get it?
“She used to buy 25-50 gm of cyanide for around Rs 100 from goldsmiths and jewellers in the Halasuru Gate police station limit. She would approach them and tell them that her husband, a goldsmith, needed it to polish gold jewellery and since he was sick and unable to come personally, she had come on his behalf to buy some cyanide,” said DCP West, Satish Chandra. Mallika used  cyanide to kill her victims. Less than a gram of cyanide is enough to kill a person.
“We regularly inspect, every six months, the stocks of the licensed dealers; cross check their invoices and take action against them if there are any lapses,” said an officer from the Drug Controller’s office. There are 21 chemical dealers, all of them in Bangalore, who have been authorised to buy chemicals listed in the Poison Rules.
The officer said though they monitor the sale of cyanide, they are not aware who the end user is. “As per the rules, our jurisdiction is to monitor the stock and sale of these chemicals not their transportation. There are loopholes in the Act and for this we are seeking an amendment to the rules,” he added. Police are yet to verify the goldsmiths and jewellers from who Mallika used to buy cyanide.