Chennai: The elite Crime Branch’s (CB) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Tamil Nadu Police has begun a probe into the liquor tragedy in Tamil Nadu.
As many as 22 people died and 55 were hospitalised after drinking spurious liquor in two separate incidents in Villupuram district and adjacent Chengalpattu district.
The distance between Marakannam in Villupuram and Maruthanthakam in Chengalpattu is just 50 km and police are probing whether same spurious liquor was distributed in both places.
ADSP Gomathi is in charge of the CB-CID investigation in Villupuram district while ADSP Maheswari is heading the CB-CID team probing the Chengalpattu liquor deaths.
It is to be noted that of the 22 who lost their lives, 14 are from Marakkanam in Villupuram district while 8 are from Maruthanthakam in Chengalpattu district.
The Tamil Nadu Police have already arrested S. Elaya Nambi, a chemical engineer and owner of Jayashakthi chemicals Pvt Ltd, for supplying methanol which is used for industrial purposes. A murder charge has also been slapped against him.
The police have also levelled murder charges against 16 people who had distributed the spurious liquor in the Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu.
As per the local police investigation, Elaya Nambi had sold 1200 litres of methanol at a cost of Rs 66,000 to Barkathullah alias Raja and R Ezhumalai of Puducherry. Small-time bootleggers bought spirit in small amounts from these people and distributed it to people at Ekkiyarkuppam at Marakkanam in Villupuram district and Sithamur near Maruthanthakam in Chengalpattu district.
It may be noted that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already issued a notice to Tamil Nadu government over the hooch tragedy.
IANS