UP: Five dead, a dozen ill after consuming spurious liquor in Shamli

LUCKNOW: Five persons died and about a dozen took ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Kamalpur village under Jhinjhana police station area on UP-Haryana border in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh. Out of five, three persons died on Tuesday and two on early Wednesday, said the police sources.

However, the district police authorities acted in the case by suspending inspector KP Singh and four constables on Wednesday. Those who had taken ill after consuming the hooch were admitted to different private and government hospitals in Shamli and Karnal (Haryana) districts in critical condition. Villagers allege that victims had consumed country-made liquor.

As per the sources, one of the deceased had supplied the spurious liquor to the vendors and he consumed it himself as well. While Shamli District Magistrate Indra Vikram Singh ordered an inquiry into the hooch tragedy, a case was lodged against a deceased and some unknown vendors under sections of IPC and Excise Act. Shamli SP Dinesh Kumar said that they had received the information about hooch tragedy in the village on Tuesday morning over Dial 100.

According to SP Dinesh Kumar, the family members of the deceased denied that the deaths had taken place due to the consumption of country-made liquor. "Families of two victims claimed that they had died due to heart fail.

When policemen insisted to take the bodies for post-mortem examination, they refused the same," said the SP. Those who died on Tuesday included Indrapal Singh (55), Sanjay Singh (28) and Joga Singh (50). The victims' families even refused to lodge any complaint with the police. The DM said that the village borders Haryana and the victims may have consumed the spurious liquor in Karnal as a few of them were admitted there also. He did not rule out smuggling of illicit liquor from Haryana due to cheaper rates.