Chandigarh: The death toll in the Punjab hooch tragedy rose to 110 with six more people reported dead after drinking spurious liquor, officials said Monday. Three fatalities due to the hooch tragedy were reported from Tarn Taran, two from Gurdaspur’s Batala and one from Amritsar, they said.
So far, the maximum number of deaths (83) has taken place in Tarn Taran district, followed by 14 in Batala and 13 in Amritsar. The tragedy has been unfolding since Wednesday evening in the three districts. Tarn Taran Deputy Commissioner of Police Kulwant Singh said two people are critical while the condition of eight others is stable.
Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ishfaq said one person died Monday afternoon while another Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police have arrested 12 more people, including two businessmen, in a crackdown against the illegal liquor trade. So far, police have arrested 37 people in this regard. A manhunt has been launched for eight more accused, including a Ludhiana-based paint shop owner, believed to be a key player in the illegal liquor trade, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.
Two Congress MPs on Monday met Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore. They wanted a probe by the CBI and ED into the alleged illegal liquor in the state.
Attacking their own government in Punjab, Rajya Sabha members Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo claimed that the ‘liquor mafia’ existed in the state and sought immediate action against them. Both MPs said the tragedy was ‘bound to happen’ in the ‘absence’ of timely action by the Congress government against illegal liquor racket.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had earlier suspended seven excise officials and six policemen who were found guilty of not doing their duty properly.