VILLUPURAM: Three days after three men got admitted to Mundiyambakkam Government Medical College and Hospital in Villupuram as they allegedly consumed illicit liquor, Deepak Siwach, the Superintendent of Police confirmed that they were not affected by methanol poisoning, unlike those in Kallakurichi. One of the hospitalised men is in a coma.
R Jayaraman (65), Murgan and Sivachandran, residents of Arasur village near Villupuram, had consumed hooch on June 29 evening. The next day, Jayaraman complained of health ailments and was taken to Iruvelpattu Primary Health Centre. He was then sent to Mundiyambakkam GH for further treatment, said his son-in-law Hari (name changed). Jayaraman is in a coma and is being treated in the Intensive Care Unit now, Hari added.
Meanwhile, after hearing about Jayaraman’s hospitalisation, the other two also got admitted as a precaution, said police.
Murugan was the one who bought arrack from Puducherry and distributed it to his friends, said police and added that a case has been filed against him for supplying arrack in Tamil Nadu.
Dismissing rumours of it being another methanol poisoning case, the SP told TNIE, “The urine and blood samples of all three men show that there was too much ethyl alcohol in their blood and not methanol. The liquor bought from Puducherry caused the issue.”
However, Hari alleged that it was not the liquor from Puducherry but some additives put in it before the sales in their village led to the hospitalisation. “It is not merely six or seven packets bought from Puducherry; there is a hooch sale in the region. The sub-inspector of the police and the village administrative officer are responsible for allowing the sale in our area despite the tragedy in Kallakurichi. We demand proper action on these officers. We are not saying this to get the relief amount” alleged Hari.