At least 19 dead and six blinded after drinking home-brewed liquor

The Bharatiya Janata party has demanded an independent enquiry into the hooch tragedy in Etah in which 21 people have died saying frequent death of people by consuming illicit liquor shows government has no control to check bootlegging.

The police late on Saturday night nabbed main accused Shripal Lodh from the Nayagaon area of the district.

Armed group seize police station in Armenia as fears of coup spreadMr Rai said the victims bought the liquor from a village shop on Friday evening and started falling ill and dying. The accused has been arrested and 11 officials in police and excise department have been suspended for dereliction of duty. “A massive campaign was launched in June this year and about 3 lakh litres of illegal liquor was recovered and destroyed in Aliganj town”, Govind Agarwal, deputy inspector general, Aligarh told Hindustan Times.

DM Ajay Yadav said that five more people including Dharampal, Pramod Yadav, Mahipal and Ram Singh were died at the different hospital in the area.

Many people also lost their eyesight due to the reaction after consuming the liquor on Friday night, the police said.

A group of agitated locals also blocked the road Etah-Farrukhabad. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where five were declared dead. “Taking serious note of the incident, district excise officer, excise inspector and an excise personnel have been suspended”, Principal Secretary (Excise) Kishan Singh Atoria said. Singhal directed Principal Secretary (Excise) and Principal Secretary (Home) to take action against officials found guilty of dereliction of duty.

He has directed the officers to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.