PATNA: In a suspected hooch, two persons died and two others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, police said on Sunday. The two victims who were undergoing treatment at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur have lost their eyesight.
The incident took place in Pokharia Peer locality under Kazi Mohammadpur police station area in Muzaffarpur district late on Saturday night. Altogether four persons consumed alcohol at an ice factory owned by Shivchandra Paswan and reached home. All four complained of severe stomach pain, vomiting, headache, and loss of eyesight soon after reaching home. The family members told the police that the victims were admitted to a local private nursing home for treatment.
While Umesh Shah (50) and Pappu Ram (32) died, Dharmendra Kumar (26) and Raju Shah (45) were undergoing treatment at SKMCH. Raju told the police that they had purchased country liquor from the ice factory of Shivchandra Paswan.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Awadhesh Dixit said that two persons have been detained for interrogation. “We have recorded the statement of the family members of the victims. Further investigation is on,” he added. He said that the police received information about the death of two persons in a hooch tragedy in the Ambedkar Nagar locality of the town. A police team was sent to the spot to ascertain the cause of death. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims had consumed alcohol,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the seriously ill Raju Shah has been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for better treatment. Dharmendra used to work as a daily wager. The ice factory owner Shivchandra Paswan is absconding after the incident.
Earlier this month, two persons had lost their lives in a similar hooch tragedy in Bettiah under West Champaran district. Bihar came under total prohibition on April 1, 2016. Under the new Prohibition law, the manufacture, sale, storage, and consumption of liquor is completely banned. Violation of the prohibition policy is a cognizable offense.