The death toll in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu has risen to 57 after four more deaths were reported due to the consumption of illicit liquor, said the District Collectorate on Monday. The development comes after 53 casualties were reported on June 19 Karunapuram district hit the hardest.
As per media reports, two persons who fell critically ill after consuming the spurious liquor passed away on Sunday.
A total of 156 people who fell ill due to the illicit arrack are undergoing treatment at various hospitals including Kallakurichi Government Hospital, JIPMER Pondicherry, Salem Government Medical College and Hospital and Villupuram Medical College and Hospital, as per a PTI report.
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Seven people have recovered, reported the news agency, which includes 5 from JIPMER and two from a private hospital.
In the wake of the rising death toll, the Madras High Court slammed the Tamil Nadu government and demanded a report on measures taken to curb the sale of illicit arrack in the state.
The directive was issued by a division bench of Justices D Krishnakumar and K Kumaresh Babu while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by AIADMK legal wing secretary I S Inbadurai. The PIL sought that the investigation into the case be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The court has also directed the Tamil Nadu government to outline actions taken regarding the hooch tragedy and to provide details of steps taken following a similar incident in Villupuram's Marakanam last year.
The bench stressed the importance of the matter and noted that it pertains to the lives of the people. The court also demanded information on action taken by the police to curb the sale of spurious liquor and sought data on the number of related cases filed in the past year.