BHOPAL: A high-level probe has been ordered by the Ujjain Divisional Commissioner into deaths of several persons in two villages of western Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district within a month.
The probe was ordered by Ujjain Divisional Commissioner Ashish Singh following news reports about the deaths of 13 persons, allegedly following consumption of spurious liquor in Chandana and Binjana villages of Dewas district between September 27 and October 16.
“Taking the seriousness of the matter following news reports, a thorough probe is essential. The detailed probe will cover the reasons behind the deaths over the last one month and all associated aspects. A five strong team of officials has been constituted to conduct the detailed and impartial probe and the factual report containing the findings will have to be submitted in 15 days,” the Saturday evening order signed by the Ujjain divisional commissioner mentioned.
The probe panel will be headed by Ujjain’s additional district collector Pratam Kaushik and also have on board the Mandsaur district’s additional SP Ram Snehi Mishra. The three other officials in the team are also from other districts of Ujjain division. They include a sub divisional officer police (SDOP) of Ratlam district, the deputy excise commissioner of Ujjain division and the regional director (public health and family welfare) of Ujjain.
Importantly, the latest development happened after the Dewas district administration had initially denied the reports of the deaths having happened due to consumption of spurious liquor.
The ordering of detailed high-level probe by the Ujjain divisional commissioner, also assumes importance, as it happened within a few hours after a delegation of the opposition Congress led by state party president Jitu Patwari visited one of the villages in Dewas district and met with the affected families.
The state Congress delegation headed by state party chief Jitu Patwari and also including ex-union minister and former MP Congress chief Arun Yadav visited Chandana village in Dewas district and met families earlier in the day.
The MP Congress chief alleged that 22 people had died so far due to spurious liquor in Dewas district. This is an extremely serious matter. The government and district administration must publicly disclose the actual number of deaths, conduct an impartial investigation into the entire incident, and ensure strict action against those responsible.
He said that incidents involving spurious liquor in Morena, Ujjain, Sagar, and now Dewas have raised serious questions about the state’s excise administration and law-and-order situation. How has the illegal liquor trade continued to put people’s lives at risk? Why did the responsible departments fail to act in time? The government must answer these questions.
The former MP minister Patwari further said that the affected families are in tears, and they all have one question: if complaints about spurious liquor had already been made, why was timely action not taken? The real issues cannot be sidestepped by blaming water or offering other excuses. The investigation must establish where the spurious liquor came from, who was behind the operation, and at what level negligence occurred.
