TN Hooch Tragedy: CM Stalin Blames Police, Govt Amends Prohibition Act To Increase Punishment

MK Stalin held district police officials accountable for the hooch tragedy and accused the AIADMK of the incident to distract from its Lok Sabha elections' poor performance and the party's internal issues.

File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced in the Assembly on Saturday that the responsibility for the recent hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi would fall on the district police superintendent and local police officials. He accused the opposition AIADMK of highlighting the incident to distract from its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections and issues in the internal party.

Stalin emphasised that the state government had been transparent about the spurious liquor incident and argued that the AIADMK’s demand for a CBI investigation was unnecessary, news agency PTI reported. He outlined that his government had taken swift action by arresting the offenders, transferring officials, establishing an enquiry commission, and ordering a probe by the CID.

"We created a situation where no one can escape," the chief minister said, as quoted by PTI. "Despite all these efforts, that too within 24 hours, the AIADMK is insisting on a CBI enquiry. We have nothing to hide unlike the Sathankulam custodial death (in Thoothukudi district in 2020) case during the previous AIADMK regime," Stalin also said.

Stalin noted that the previous AIADMK government had sought a CBI investigation in the Sathankulam case due to allegations of concealing facts. In contrast, his administration acted quickly and decisively in the Kallakurichi incident, And, warned that future hooch deaths would result in accountability for district police superintendents and local police officials.

He accused the AIADMK of often raising the hooch tragedy in the Assembly to disrupt proceedings and divert attention from their electoral defeat. "The AIADMK engineered the Kallakurichi incident to conceal its defeat in the elections and crisis within the party," Stalin, who is the president of the DMK, asserted.

Similarly, the government was making all efforts to prevent the movement completely and sale of narcotics, he added. "I am standing before you with the pride of having won all 40 seats (39 in TN and the lone Puducherry constituency… Though it was a parliamentary election, the opposition parties targeted me and criticised this Dravidian model government," Stalin further added, PTI reported.

But the people overcame the false propaganda of the opposition and gave a decisive victory to the DMK combine, he said during the thumping of desks by the treasury benches.

Stalin thanked the people for their mandate and said that the poll results demonstrated the confidence of the public in the DMK government. The victory was an acknowledgement of the party's people-friendly initiatives.

Regarding the 2017 Kodanad heist-cum-murder case, Stalin has confirmed that a total of 268 witnesses had been examined, and relevant evidence, including cell phones and SIM cards used by the accused, had been sent to the Coimbatore Forensic Laboratory. An 8,000-page report was received, and the government plans to seek assistance from Interpol due to an overseas call made during the crime.

Concluding the Assembly session, CM Stalin expressed disappointment in the AIADMK’s handling of the Kallakurichi issue and said "I feel sad over the AIADMK’s stand on Kallakurichi. It was not prepared to discuss the issue in the House and had only disrupted the assembly proceedings. Unlike the AIADMK, the DMK in the past had conducted itself as a responsible opposition party."

Tamil Nadu Government Amends Prohibition Act To Increase Punishment Term, Quantum Of Fine In Illicit Liquor Matters

Days after the incident, the Tamil Nadu government amended a prohibition act to substantially enhance the punishment on Saturday, which included life imprisonment for bootleggers in case of death after the consumption of spurious liquor.

The state government amended the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, of 1937 to increase the punishment term and quantum of fine for offences like the manufacture, possession and selling of illicit liquor that is injurious to health. This act was notified by the government, which aims to completely remove the menace of illicit liquor from the state.

The amendment substantially increases the term of imprisonment and quantum of fine for various offences under sections 4,5,6,7 and 11 of the Act. As a result, the amendment proposes a maximum penalty of Rs. 5 lakh and a maximum term of 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI), PTI reported.

As per PTI, bootleggers will face life in prison and a fine of at least Rs 10 lakh if their illicit liquor consumption results in death.