Hooch tragedies appear to have befallen Bihar yet again after a village in Rohtas district reported five suspected deaths since Diwali, while several others are critical and undergoing treatment at private hospitals, after they allegedly consumed spurious alcohol.
Family members identified the victims as Sanjay Yadav, 32, Buddhu Paswan, 28, his brother Chandan Paswan, 24, Dhananjay Singh, 40 of Barki Kharari village, and Manish Singh, 40, of adjacent Pahari village within the Kargahar police station limits. Sukhanandan Paswan, whose two brothers died, is also among those battling for life at the hospital.
Sanjay Yadav was the first to die on Diwali night (Monday), followed by Buddhu Paswan and Manish Singh on Tuesday. Dhananjay Singh and Chandan Paswan died in the wee hours of Wednesday.
However, Kargahar SHO Narottam Chandra confirmed only three deaths and attributed them to an ‘unidentified disease’ while investigations were on.
Locals claimed that the victims consumed liquor on Diwali and developed symptoms like loss of eyesight, stiffness in body, very low blood pressure, numbness in organs below waist before they died late at night. Villager Anup Singh of Barki Kharari said the victims were liquor addicts and the deaths were due to alcohol consumption.
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They were not admitted to the local PHC (primary health centre) in fear of action due to the state’s stringent liquor laws and were taken to local quacks. The families covered up the deaths as ‘unidentified disease’, cremating the bodies in a hurry without informing the police or health authorities.
Kargahar PHC in-charge Dr Anil Kumar said no case with such symptoms were brought to his hospital from Barki Kharari village since Diwali night.
Meanwhile, civil surgeon Dr KN Tiwary said symptoms like loss of eyesight, tingling and stiffness, lower organ collapse, etc., sound like those caused from the consumption of spurious liquor. The actual cause of death can be ascertained only after post-mortem examination, Tiwary said.
Superintendent of police Ashish Bharti said appropriate action will be taken once it is established that the deaths were due to hooch consumption.
