Days after the hooch tragedy claiming 8 people in Burdwan, at least seven people died and several others fell seriously ill after drinking hooch in Howrah district.
The incident occurred at Ghusuri in industrial regions of Howrah not far from the Grand Trunk Road, sources said. Howrah Police Commissioner PK Tripathi said “about 7 people died and some others have fallen seriously ill after consuming spurious liquor,” at Malipachghara area of Ghusuri adding some other people whose conditions were said to be critical had been rushed to the hospital.
Locals said about 30 people had been taken to the hospital out of who the conditions of seven were said to be serious.
While there was confusion whether the number of people dead was seven or nine sources identified the dead as Amit Kumar Burma, Anil Chaurasia, Ranjit Gupta, Lakshman Shau, Tribhuban Pandit, Sukumar Chowdhury, Prakash Mitra, Biskut Roy and Rajeshwar Roy, taking the number of casualties to nine.
The owner of the liquor shop Pratap Karmakarhas been arrested and was being questioned, police said.
Political slugfest started soon after the tragedy with Congress MP Adhiar Chowdhury accusing the TMC Government of “nurturing a variety of mafias from coal mafia to cattle mafia to sand, stone, building, arms and bomb mafia and this one the hooch mafia … it is a shame.”
CPI(M) central committee member said as liquor was the only source of revenue for a cash-starved state government devoid of investment the people including TMC leaders were investing hugely in liquor, particularly illegal liquor trade “so, such illegal hooch-joints are mushrooming across the state under the direct patronage of local administration and local ruling party leaders … the people do not want this government but in a polarised atmosphere the fear of BJP is forcing the people to bear with Mamata Banerjee.”
Bengal has witnessed repeated incidents of hooch deaths with about 140 people dying after consuming spurious liquor in December 2011. Subsequently hooch tragedies continue to take place almost on a routine basis.