Liquor in Nitish Kumar-led Bihar was banned in the year 2016. However, the dry state has claimed the lives of several who consumed poisonous alcohol in last three months.
In this episode, as many as 13 people have lost their lives to illicit liquor. Six people have allegedly died after in two villages in Nawada district since March 24, as per a report in a Hindi news portal. However, the district administration is yet to confirm this incident. The police have said that they have not received any such information, while the families of the victims claimed that they died after consuming liquor.
Two residents of Gudhiyari village under Bakhri Police Station in Begusarai district also died on March 31 after consuming spurious liquor and another resident is battling for life in a private hospital. The victims of the latest case have been identified as Raj Kumar Shahni, 22, and Parmeshwar Choudhary, 35, while Birju Shahni, is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
According to villagers and the victims’ families, three of them consumed locally made liquor, popularly known as Mahua-Daru, during Holi on Monday and Tuesday. At late Tuesday night they complained of uneasiness, stomach pain, vomiting and weakness. Soon two of them died and the other was admitted to a hospital for treatment.
There have also been complaints of loss of vision after consuming these poisonous alcohol.
Last month, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar faced strong criticism on the ban of liquor in the state. Kumar has reiterated that there is no question of rollback on prohibition.
“I think it is not impossible to identify people violating the ban. I have told the DGP to ensure proper action against such people,” the CM told reporters on the sidelines of his 70th birthday on March 1.
