Gopalgunj deaths appear to be due to hooch consumption

Patna/Gopalganj, Aug 18 (PTI) The death of 15 people inGopalganj may have been due to consumption of either hooch orspurious substance mixed in some drink, the districtadministration today said as it mulled sending viscera andblood samples of the deceased for forensic test. Meanwhile Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed graveconcern over the Gopalganj tragedy, the first major incidentafter Bihar was declared a complete dry state on April 5. He told reporters that the incident was serious andexpressed confidence that truth would come out in the forensictest of viscera and blood samples of deceased. Gopalganj District Magistrate Rahul Kumar said post-mortemreport of the deceased indicated death due to eitherconsumption of hooch or some spurious substance mixed in somedrink. "The district administration would approach court to seekits permission to hand over viscera and blood sample ofdeceased for forensic test," Superintendent of PoliceRaviranjan Kumar said. Nitish Kumar appealed to the kin of the deceased not to bescared and speak the truth so that the culprits behind theincident could be caught and severely punished. He said if the deaths are due to hooch, compensation of Rs4 lakh each would be given to the family members of thevictims. He said Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh and statepolice chief P K Thakur were keeping a close watch over theGopalganj incident and there was no chance of culpritsescaping from the law. The chief minister said total prohibition in Bihar sinceApril has taken shape of a social change under which some suchunpleasant events would crop up which would be dealt withsternly. SP Kumar said that six persons have been arrested inconnection with death of 15 people on Tuesday. An FIR has beenlodged against the six and some others with the town policestation. DM Kumar said a hectic search is on for two personsreleased recently after arrest under new Excise law. Evenrelatives of some of the deceased told us their names, hesaid but refused to disclose the names which might disturbthe probe. The SP said that during search operations in Khajurbannilocality, 45 gallons of ‘mahua’ (country liquor) hidden insidethe earth have been recovered. In addition, 25 empty bottles of a homeopathic medicineDhuja which has alcoholic contents have been also found fromthe place of incident, the SP added. The DM said that initially 13 people had died but latertwo more succumbed at Patna Medical College and Hospital(PMCH) in Patna where four more are under treatment. The Gopalganj incident has provided opportunity toopposition BJP and its NDA partners to attack the Nitishgovernment. PTI SNS CRZMN