3 die after drinking 'spurious' liquor in Bihar

Three persons have been arrested so far on charges of selling fake liquor, police said.

Sitamarhi, Bihar: Three persons died and one was admitted to hospital after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, police said.

Three persons have been arrested so far on charges of selling fake liquor, they said.

"Following a tip-off that two persons were undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Sitamarhi after drinking spurious liquor, police reached the spot in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

“However, by the time they arrived at the hospital, one person identified as Awadesh Kumar had died. The exact cause of death can only be ascertained after post-mortem," a police statement said.

Another person identified as Roshan Rai is undergoing treatment at the hospital and police are in touch with his family members, it said.

During the course of investigation, police came to know that two more persons had died in the area after drinking spurious liquor.

"Villagers informed police about the death of two more in the area. However, their bodies were cremated without informing police," it added.

Around 90 bottles of liquor were also recovered from the possession of the accused, police said.

Sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in 2016. However, incidents of smuggling of liquor continue to be reported in the state notwithstanding the ongoing drive against bootleggers.

In April this year, more than 30 people had died after consuming spurious liquor in East Champaran district.