5 die, 4 fall ill in Mandi after consuming hooch

Tribune News Service

Mandi, January 19

Five persons died while four others were taken ill, after consuming spurious country-made liquor in the Salappar area of Mandi district today.

Mandi SP Shalini Agnihotri said on Wednesday morning, information was received at Balh Police Station from Shree Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College, Nerchowk, that four persons, suspected of consuming spurious liquor, had been admitted for treatment. The information was shared with the Sundernagar police, who initiated the legal action. Later, four other persons were admitted to the medical college for treatment of similar symptoms while one person was brought dead.

“The deceased were identified as Chet Ram (47) and Sudesh Kumar (49), both of Salappar; Mani Ram (55) of Sudhan, Kala Ram (52) of Kangoo and Rajneesh Kumar (40) of Khorata village in Mandi,” the SP said.

“Bhagat Ram (42) of Malthani, Raman Thakur (40) and Birbal (42), both of Salappar, and Ganpat of Kangoo village, are undergoing treatment at the medical college,” she stated.

“As per the initial investigation, all these persons had consumed liquor at various shops/home at Salappar and in nearby areas at different times on January 17 evening. The next day, they started showing similar symptoms, predominantly vomiting, loss of consciousness and nausea. At first, two of them were admitted to CHC Sundernagar and later shifted to medical college, Nerchowk, in intubated condition, where they died during treatment,” the SP remarked.

“A case has been registered at Sundernagar and a team has been tasked with unearthing the racket. The post-mortem examination and other legal formalities for collection of evidence have been completed and forensic experts have visited the spot and collected all evidences,” Agnihotri said.

“Multiple teams from the Excise Department, along with respective assistant commissioners, also collected samples from wholesale liquor vends and worked jointly with police teams. Circle reports from medical officers and forensic experts are awaited. All victims and witnesses were interviewed and based on the information and raids were made at suspected locations,” she said.

The SP stated that 52 boxes of country made and other liquor and four boxes of empty bottles of country made and other liquor had been seized in these raids. Five suspects had been detained so far and as many as eight persons were under questioning. Further investigation was in progress, she added.

The district administration gave Rs 50,000 each to the kin of deceased while Rs 8 lakh would be given by the state government later to the affected families.

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