BERHAMPUR: Five days after the hooch tragedy in Chikiti, the number of arrests reached eight, with police apprehending Rajendra Sahu from Moundpur.
Sahu was arrested near Pitatali and was produced before a court on Saturday, confirmed K Nuagaon IIC Kishor Kumar Sasmal.
Earlier, seven people, including a woman, were arrested but others involved in manufacturing of the hooch and trade are still at large. However, the contents mixed into the illicit liquor have not been determined yet.
In the tragedy, two persons died while 13 people are receiving treatment at MKCG medical college and hospital.
Police suspect that the illicit liquor supplied to rural areas of Andhra Pradesh is linked to the tragedy, and the traders are now believed to be hiding across the Andhra-Odisha border. Efforts to locate and arrest them are on with recent raids conducted in Kanchili and Kaviti police limits in Andhra Pradesh.
The viscera of the two deceased, Jura Behera (60) and Loknath Behera (36), have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Bhubaneswar. Berhampur ASP Ramesh Chandra Sethy stated that the cause of death will be confirmed once the report is available.
Meanwhile, six of the victims admitted to the medical ward at MKCG MCH have been shifted to the central ICU.
DIG and in-charge SP of Berhampur, Sarthak Sarangi, said large quantities of molasses and other materials used for illegal liquor production have been destroyed in recent raids. "Even the raids conducted on the day in Indrakhi village and S. Badapur forest led to the destruction of over 1000 litre of fermented wash and other brewing equipment," he added.