Taking serious note of death of five persons after taking spurious liquor in Unnao, Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has suspended ten officials of police and excise departments, along with the district excise officer, on Thursday afternoon. Interestingly, the local administration initially tried to hush up the matter claiming that the death occurred due to some other reasons but after the media high-lighted the issue promptly, the senior officers swung into action and on their primarily report, chief minister took action. Chief Minister also directed Excise Commissioner to conduct an enquiry into the matter by some senior officer.
An official communiqué confirmed that soon after getting initial findings in the above tragedy, CM took strong action against the officials and had suspended district excise offer of Unnao, Gyendra Tripathi, excise inspector, Giriraj Singh, head constable Raj Bahadur and four other excise constables. Besides, incharge of Civil lines police outpost, Balram, and two beat constables, Anwar Ahmed and lallan were also suspended while station house officer of Kotwali police station, Satish Kumar Gautam, has been shunted out for their failure to check sale of spurious liquor.
According to reports, some residents of loknagar area of Kotwali Police Station in Unnao, suddenly fell ill after consuming liquor on Wednesdaynight. They were immediately taken to District Hospital where five of them succumbed during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursdaymorning. The victims have been identified as Chattar Sonkar (40), lalchandra Sonkar (50), both brothers, Mangi (25), Rajesh and Rakesh Kumar, all local residents of loknagar.
Sources confirmed that the enquiry suggested that the victims had purchased liquor from one of the local shops (one of country made and other of English liquor)both located in the same area and later consumed it on Wednesday evening after which their condition started deteriorating. They were shifted to hospital and the information was passed on to the local police but they took no cognizance and instead claimed it to be a case of food poisoning. Police also claimed that one of the deceased lal Chandra was a cancer patient. A case has been registered in this regard and further investigations are on. Senior officials have also rushed to the spot while excise department sleuths are also investigating the matter.