Days after dozens of people died due to the consumption of spurious alcohol in Bihar, it has come to light that the family members of the deceased conducted the final rites without a postmortem.
As per a report by ABP News, the Head of the Mehrauli Gram Panchayat Ajit Singh informed that the cremation of three deceased men was done by flouting standard medical procedures.
He added that it was an open secret that bootleg alcohol was being sold in the village. Singh pointed out that no action was taken despite multiple complaints to the district administration.
Ajit Singh further alleged that a vendor by the name of Shailendra Rai had hoarded large quantities of bootleg alcohol for a wedding ceremony in his neighbourhood.
He added that Rai died by consuming the bootleg alcohol and the mass distribution of the spurious alcohol was thus averted. “It would have led to a disaster,” Singh told ABP News.
Similarly, the husband of the Head of the Gangauli Gram Panchayat, Paramatma Manjhi, informed that the kin of those, who died by consuming spurious alcohol, also conducted their last rites out of fear of police action.
He added that the Bihar government’s refusal to compensate the families of the deceased also motivated them to cremate the dead bodies in a hurry.
8 more people die in Bihar due to the consumption of spurious liquor
On Saturday (December 17), officials shared the news that 8 more people have died in Bihar due to the consumption of spurious alcohol.
As per reports, 6 people died in the Bhagwanpur division of the Siwan district. While 5 people died on Friday (December 16), one of the victims died a day earlier on Thursday (December 15).
Reportedly, two other men died in the Teghra division of the Begusarai district of Bihar on Friday (December 16). According to Deputy SP Chandramohan Prasad, the victims died due to the consumption of ‘some poisonous chemical.’
Bihar Hooch tragedy: Death toll from toxic liquor reaches 70
The death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra hooch tragedy has soared to 70, with 11 more people succumbing after consuming spurious liquor in the Saran district.
Masrakh Station House Officer (SHO) Ritesh Mishra and Constable Vikesh Tiwari were suspended immediately after the Tuesday night tragedy on the recommendation of Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Yogendra Kumar.
Most of the deaths occurred over Wednesday and Thursday, creating an uproar both at the state and national level as the sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government since April 2016.