The sale and consumption of liquor has been banned in Bihar since April 2016. However, incidents of death of people allegedly due to spurious liquor are frequent. In another similar incident during Diwali last year, more than 40 people died in four districts.
Nitish Kumar. (Photo: Reuters)
Bihar Sharif: Four people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor at the headquarters of Nalanda, the home district of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Bihar, a state prohibited from alcohol. The police gave this information on Saturday.
All the four people who lost their lives were between 50 and 55 years of age and were residents of Chhoti Pahari and Pahar Talli area of Sohsarai police station area. The family members claim that the four fell ill after consuming alcohol on the late night of 14 January and died after that.
The deceased have been identified as Bhago Mistry (55 years), Munna Mistry (55 years), Dharmendra (50 years) and Kalicharan Mistry.
Jyoti Kumar, daughter of Munna Mistry said, ‘My father came home last night (January 14) drunk and complained of heartburn. He died before he could be taken to the hospital.
A relative of another deceased Bhago Mistry also made a similar statement.
At the same time, the district administration has not yet confirmed the cause of death. The investigation of the matter has been started. DSP Shibli Nomani will conduct the investigation in this case.
Bihar Sharif’s Sub-Divisional Officer Kumar Anurag met the bereaved family and said that only after the postmortem, the consumption of alcohol would be confirmed.
The sale and consumption of liquor was banned in Bihar in April 2016, although questions have always been raised about its implementation.
Last year around Diwali, illicit liquor killed more than 40 people in four districts of Bihar (West Champaran, Gopalganj, Samastipur and Muzaffarpur), after which questions were raised about the prohibition law in Bihar.
After the latest incident, on January 14, a JDU spokesperson made a sharp remark about BJP MP from West Champaran, Sanjay Jaiswal, to which the state BJP President Jaiswal reacted strongly.
Jaiswal said he was in favor of ‘reviewing’ the law against liquor. He said that this law may have been made with a good intention, but after its implementation, the name of the state has been tarnished.
Police records show that till December 2021, more than 3.5 lakh cases were registered and over four lakh people arrested under the Prohibition Act.
On 26 December 2021, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court NV Ramana cited Bihar’s prohibition law as an example of his lack of foresight in drafting a law.
(with input from news agency language)
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