Lagatar24 Desk
Patna, Jan 21: At least five persons have died in Bihar’s Saran district in what appears to be yet another case of suspected hooch disaster in the dry state, said officials on Friday.
The deaths were reported from several villages in the Amnour and Maker blocks, according to District Magistrate, Saran, Rajesh Meena.
“We have received information about five deaths. Bodies of two of the deceased have been sent for post mortem. Some of the bereaved family members have blamed the deaths on liquor consumption,” stated the DM in Chhaora, the district headquarters.
He claimed that joint raids by the police and the excise agency in the two blocks had revealed illegal liquor trade, and threatened to take strong action against all those involved.
The tragedy occurred less than a week after 11 people died in Nalanda, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home district, as a result of imbibing fake whiskey.
Earlier this year, at Deepawali, hooch claimed the lives of more than 40 people in the districts of West Champaran, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, and Samastipur.
In April 2016, Bihar prohibited the sale and consumption of alcohol, a year after Mr Kumar promised the same to the state’s women.
However, the opposition and, in some cases, the judiciary have criticised his government’s implementation of the same.
