Toll in Bihar hooch tragedy rises to five, 12 arrested; Opposition targets NDA govt over deaths

Motihari: Four people died on Friday after allegedly drinking spurious liquor in Bihar's East Champaran district, taking the toll to five, officials said.

The first death was reported on Thursday.

As many as 12 people have been arrested in connection with the deaths in the Turkauliya and Raghunathpur areas of Motihari, said East Champaran District Magistrate Saurabh Jorwal.

A case of murder has been registered based on complaints filed by the family members of the deceased, police said.

They also said that at least five people were still hospitalised, while seven have been discharged after treatment.

The district magistrate said, "The death toll has mounted to five, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem. The exact cause of the deaths can only be known after the report arrives." He also said the SHO of Turkauliya police station has been suspended with immediate effect.

Superintendent of Police Swarn Prabhat said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the incident.

Initial investigations suggested that the first victim had consumed illicit liquor in the Raghunathpur area, police sources said.

"Police have identified the liquor supplier, and he will soon be nabbed. A team comprising the district police and the Anti-Liquor Task Force (ALTF) is conducting searches in Parsauni, Mushhari Tola, and Turkaulia. A high-level inquiry has also been ordered into the incident," Prabhat said on Thursday.

The deaths have led to a political slugfest in the state where the sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned since 2016.

Reacting to the incident, the RJD's national working president, Tejashwi Yadav, said it has once again exposed the serious shortcomings of the prohibition law and the NDA government's "failure" in implementing the ban.

In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly said, "It is not the first time that such an incident has happened in the state. According to available data, more than 1,300 people have died in Bihar due to the consumption of spurious liquor since April 2016."

"This is just the official figure; the exact number is much more. Several people have also lost sight," he said.

Yadav alleged that the prohibition law has become a "profitable venture for some leaders of the ruling BJP-JD(U) alliance, corrupt officials and the liquor mafia who thrive under their protection".

He also claimed that spurious liquor is openly manufactured and sold rampantly in connivance with the police.

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi told reporters in Patna that the state machinery has "failed" to effectively enforce the prohibition law in the state.

"The prohibition law implemented by the state government in April 2016 is good… but I must say that state machinery has failed to enforce it effectively.

The Jan Suraaj Party's state president, Manoj Bharti, visited Turkauliya village on Friday and met the family members of the deceased. He also spoke with those admitted to the hospital.

Talking to reporters, he said, "The state government is responsible for such incidents. The NDA government has miserably failed to enforce the prohibition law effectively in the state. In 2023, as many as 44 people died in Motihari after consuming spurious liquor."