PATNA: In yet another suspected hooch tragedy, three persons died and two others were taken ill after consuming spurious liquor in dry Bihar, police said on Tuesday.
Taking a serious note of the incident, police swung into action and arrested a liquor supplier Dinesh Das and recovered two litres of country liquor from his house.
The incident took place at Maksudpur village under Hayaghat police station in Darbhanga district. Altogether five persons- Dasrath Sahni, Santosh Kumar Das, Laltun Sahni, Arjun Das and an unidentified person had bought liquor from Dinesh Das on Sunday evening and consumed it.
Two of the victims Dashrath Sahni alias Bhukhla Sahni (56) and Santosh Kumar Das (26) complained of vomiting, stomach pain and loss of vision. They died late on Monday. Another victim Laltun Sahni (56) died during treatment at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital.
Two others including Arjun Das (55) we undergoing treatment at an undisclosed location. The police have launched a search for them.
Darbhanga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avakash Kumar said that the post-mortem on the body of Laltun Sahni, who died on Tuesday morning, was being conducted at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).
He said the post-mortem of two other deceased could not be conducted as their family members had cremated bodies on their own.
SSP Kumar said that statements of the victim's family members were being recorded by the police. The family members alleged that the victims died after consuming spurious liquor.
The SSP confirmed the arrest of one suspected liquor supplier in connection with the incident. “He is being interrogated by the police officers,” he said.
The state was declared dry in April 2016. Under the new Excise and Prohibition policy, manufacture, sale, consumption and storage of alcohol is completely banned.