The Uttar Pradesh government will bring a strict law to avoid deaths from the consumption of illegal alcohol, where the guilty will be awarded life imprisonment and a fine of upto Rs 10 lakh.
UP excise minister, Jai Pratap Singh, on Wednesday said, “To stop poisonous alcohol in UP, which is responsible for a lot of deaths, a new section has been introduced, under which life imprisonment and fine upto Rs. 10 lakh will be imposed on those who found guilty, if people die due to the consumption of illicit liquor.”
“The provisions of capital punishment are also there. It has been passed as an ordinance and in the next session it will be passed as a law in the Assembly,” Singh added.
In July last year, at least 26 people died after consuming illicit liquor in Aliganj area of Etah in the state.
Following the incident, a state-wide crackdown was carried against production and sale of illicit liquor.
A large quantity of illicit liquor and its raw material was also recovered from places like Bareilly, Kushinagar, Bijnore, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Etah, Mau and Kanpur Dehat.
Several people were arrested in the matter.
Reports had stated that five government employees, including three from the excise department, have been suspended following the incident.
