Three individuals died after consuming alcohol, while one was admitted to the hospital for allegedly drinking spurious liquor in Bihar's Sitamarhi district, according to news agency PTI. Subsequently, three individuals were arrested for selling fake liquor.
Acting on a tip-off that two individuals were undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Sitamarhi due to consuming spurious liquor, the police reached the location on the night between Friday and Saturday. However, upon their arrival, one of them, identified as Awadesh Kumar, had already passed away. The police mentioned that the exact cause of death can only be determined after a post-mortem examination, as stated in the PTI report.
Another individual, identified as Roshan Rai, is currently receiving treatment at the hospital, and the police are in contact with his family members, as per the statement.
During the investigation, the police discovered that two more individuals had died in the area after consuming spurious liquor. The village had notified them of the deaths, but the bodies had been cremated without informing the police.
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“We were informed that two bodies were cremated by their families. However, we have managed to recover one body and have sent it for post-mortem. The exact cause of their deaths will be determined only after the post-mortem report is available. We have suspended a police personnel and a Chokidar for negligence,” District SP Manoj Tiwari was quoted by IANS.
Around 90 bottles of liquor were also seized from the possession of the accused, according to the PTI report.
The Nitish Kumar-government banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar in 2016. However, incidents of liquor smuggling persist in the state despite ongoing efforts to combat bootleggers.
In April this year, more than 30 people died after consuming spurious liquor in East Champaran district.