Ten persons died and some others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Sunday.
SAGAR (MP) — Ten persons died and some others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district on Sunday, with a preliminary probe indicating that the alcohol had been supplied from Lalitpur in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
A local BJP MLA, however, put the death toll at 11 due to spurious liquor consumption in some villages of Banda tehsil of MP, days after a similar tragedy in neighbouring Gujarat.
A former Congress legislator claimed people from several villages under Banda development block consumed liquor on Saturday night, following which their health deteriorated. They were rushed to hospital, where several of them were declared dead, he added.
MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a probe into the incident, asserting that no guilty person would be spared, while the Opposition Congress demanded a judicial inquiry into the tragedy.
The district administration sealed seven liquor shops in the affected area as a precaution and ordered immediate sampling, officials said.
The hooch tragedy in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh comes after 13 people died last month from spurious liquor consumption in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, a 'dry' state, also governed by the saffron party, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are banned.
Officials said they were investigating the suspected liquor supply from neighbouring Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh, also a BJP-ruled state.
"Ten persons have died after consuming illegal spurious liquor in two villages of Banda tehsil, about 30 km from the district headquarters," Sagar Collector Pratibha Pal, who was visiting the affected area, told PTI over the phone.
However, when contacted, local BJP MLA Virendra Lodhi told PTI, "As per my knowledge, 11 people have died after consuming spurious liquor. Around 25 have been rushed from Banda Civil Hospital to other hospitals for advanced healthcare."
Pal said screening was underway and people complaining of fever and headache were being shifted to the government-run Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMCH).
"Three such people have been sent to BMCH. None of them is serious," she said.
Asked whether the death toll was likely to rise, the official said she could not comment.
The first death was reported in the early hours of Sunday. Preliminary autopsy reports had not yet been received, she said.
On the suspected source of the liquor, Pal told reporters that the initial investigation indicated it had been supplied from Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
"There is a gang in Lalitpur that supplies this kind of poisonous liquor. Since this area is adjacent to Uttar Pradesh, this has come to light in the preliminary investigation. The matter is being investigated," she said.
CM Yadav said the deaths in the Banda-Shahgarh area were "extremely sad and unfortunate" and directed the minister in charge and officials to conduct an immediate probe and take strict action against those responsible.
Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda also sought immediate information from officials and directed them to ensure prompt investigation, relief and medical treatment in the affected area, as per an official statement.
Senior officials, including the Sagar divisional commissioner, inspector general, collector and superintendent of police, reached the affected area and took stock of the situation.
They met the affected families and reviewed treatment and medical arrangements for patients admitted to hospitals.
The district administration sealed seven liquor shops in the affected area as a precautionary measure and ordered immediate sampling. It also directed officials to take strict legal action against those involved in the illegal liquor trade, officials said.
Meanwhile, state Congress president Jitu Patwari targeted the state government over the deaths and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
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"Liquor mafias are fearlessly taking people's lives" across the state, he alleged while talking to reporters in Gwalior.
Former Congress MLA from Banda, Tarvar Lodhi, claimed that nine persons died after consuming poisonous liquor.
He further claimed that several people in Baraj, Ghughar, Nauraj and nearby villages under Banda development block consumed liquor on Saturday night, following which their health suddenly deteriorated.
Their relatives took them to the government hospital in Banda, where doctors declared several of them dead, he said.
Four to five persons were admitted to Banda Civil Hospital, while another four to five were referred to Sagar for treatment, he added.
The administration appealed to people who had consumed liquor and were experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, headache or fever to immediately visit the nearest health centre and undergo a medical examination.