With the toll in the spurious liquor tragedy officially climbed to 33 while over two dozen people were still battling for life after consuming the hooch in Etah and neighbouring Farukabad districts, the top police brasses went for a `cosmetic’ exercise by launching a drive against the illicit liquor manufacturers and suppliers. The move was reportedly made just as a part of `damage control’ exercise.
They claimed to have arrested 1621 persons involved in the trade during the last 24-hours. The arrest pointed towards the magnitude in which the illegal country made liquor have been supplied in the State and that too under police patronage as if so many persons may not have died of spurious liquor, the men in Khakhi have not even made a cosmetic exercise.
IG (law and order) HR Sharma claimed here on Monday evening that on directions of director general of police Javeed Ahmed, the cops conducted searches and raids across the state during last 24-hours and arrested 1621 culprits and also registered 1585 cases against them and sent them to jail. During the above exercise, 36121 liters liquor has been destroyed along with 202 factories unearthed during the raids since Sunday.
The maximum 2970 liters have been recovered from Mathura followed by 2456 in Mainpuri, 2420 in Kushinagar, 2358 in Ferojabad, 2299 in Gorakhpur, 1432 in Shahjahenpur, 1276 in Agra, 1147 in Bareilly, and 1101 liters in Philibhit. The highest number of persons arrested were 165 from Gorakhpur, 88 from Maharajganj, 79 from Kushinagar,78 from Shahjahenpur, 54 from Bareilly, 49 from Deoria, and 45 each from Moradabad and Rampur.
Meanwhile the toll in hooch tragedy reached to 33 so far. While 29 persons have died so far in Etah, four died in Farukhabad, taking the toll to 33, an official release of the DGP office released on Monday evening confirmed. The condition of over two dozen people admitted in various hospitals in Etah and Saifai, after they consumed the spurious liquor, was stated to be critical. The main accused Shreepal has been arrested and 11 officials from excise department and police have also been suspended. The DM in Etah has reportedly announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each deceased.
Meanwhile, Virendra Madan, vice-chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, media cell, claimed that a four-member Party delegation would visit Etah and Farukabad, on Tuesday to enquire the happening. Newly appointed president of UPCC Raj Babbar, also demanded a judicial probe in the matter.
The official communiqué of the Party released on Monday evening confirmed that Babbar charged chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, of appointing tainted and corrupt officials in the Excise Department which led to several incident of hooch tragedy in the State so far claiming several hundred lives. State president also demanded that since chief minister had the charge of excise ministry also, so he must take morale responsibility of huge loss of human lives in spurious hooch tragedy and submit his resignation.