Death toll in hooch tragedy mounts to 171; excise officer suspended

West Bengal: Deaths in the worst-ever hooch tragedy in West Bengal continued unabated today with the toll touching 171 amid fears of more casualties. The Officer-in-charge of Excise department in Diamond Harbour, Radheshyam Pande, was today suspended on charge of dereliction of duty, South 24-Parganas district police superintendent LN Meena said. According to the Chief Medical Officer (Health) S Adhikary, the killer hooch claimed 171 lives in Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, MR Bangur hospital and at National Medical college and hospital. [caption id=“attachment_158347” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Deaths in the worst-ever hooch tragedy in West Bengal continued unabated today with the toll touching 171 amid fears of more casualties. PTI”]  [/caption] She said that nearly 90 victims were still under treatment in the hospitals where condition of some were critical. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting CM Jatua said that he had shot off a letter to the Commissioner of Excise three months ago, calling for action against mushrooming of liquor joints in Sangrampur and other areas of the district. “No action has been taken so far,” Jatua told PTI. The CMO(H) said that Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, where most of the victims were admitted, alone accounted for 121 deaths, followed by 44 in M R Bangur hospital and six in National medical college and hospital. She said that blood samples of the victims had been sent to Belgachia laboratory by forensic experts. Police said that 12 arrests were so far made but the kingpin of the hooch racket Khonra Badshah was still absconding. Meanwhile, a CID team, led by DIG, CID (operations) K Jayraman, visited Sangrampur and adjacent villages as also hospitals to talk to the victims as part of the inquiry process into the hooch tragedy. The hooch victims included labourers, rickshaw pullers and hawkers. Police informed that a 12-year-old, Raju Laskar, who took a glass of killer hooch mistaking it a glass of water, died at the M R Bangur hospital last night. Health department sources said doctors, nurses, and para-medical staff whose leaves were cancelled were working overtime to attend the hooch victims. The victims fell ill after consuming spurious liquor from several illegal joints on Tuesday night. Preliminary investigations suggest that the deaths occurred due to methyl alcohol toxicity which led to respiratory and cardiac failure. Meanwhile, locals today dismantled many liquor joints in Mograhat, Usthi and nearby areas in the district. Excise department personnel broke hundreds of hooch bottles and destroyed the shanties in North 24-parganas district. PTI