Enjoying free booze at a party hosted by a aspiring gram pradhan proved costly for villagers when five of them lost their lives and four others were jhospitalised at Kannauj on Friday night.
The incident has put egg on the face of the state government as it happened at CM Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav’s Parliamentary constituency. What is more, the CM had warned stern action against officers after two such hooch tragedies at Gorakhpur and Azamgarh.
As per reports, Shree Krishna Yadav and Taklu Choudhary of Sadikpur hamlet of Sadar Kotwali (Kannauj) had thrown a party on Friday night to influence voters for the ongoing Panchayat polls. Soon after the party, over a dozen villagers complained of uneasiness and started vomiting. They were rushed to the district hospital where five of them - Shivram, Prithvi Raj, Jagdish, Shreeram, and Rakesh of neighbouring Aliyapur hamlet, were pronounced dead upon arrival. The condition of three others was stated to be critical.
The police on its part have registered a case against Shree Krishna and Taklu but no arrest was reported so far.
Only last Wednesday night, at a liquor party organised in Chattradhari village of Gorakhpur by a candidate, eight villagers were taken ill and Munna (33), Ram lalit (50) and another died during treatment. Six others were admitted for treatment.
Earlier on November 21, a similar party thrown by a aspiring pradhan in Azamgarh proved fatal for two dozen villagers as three of them died while remaining were admitted in district hospital.