Hooch claimed 38 lives in Saran, higher death figures misleading: Bihar minister

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday put at 38 the number of people who died in the Saran hooch tragedy asserting that higher death figures quoted by various quarters were misleadingState Prohibition Minister Sunil Kumar made the averment at a hurriedly convened press conference inside the assembly premises on the last day of the winter session when proceedings were disrupted by the opposition BJP over the deaths that took place in the dry state last weekThe number of people who died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran is 38 higher figures are misleading said the ministerBJP leaders have been claiming that more than 100 people have died Most media reports have put the death toll to be more than 50The minister however added We may revise the death toll if we get any additional information which is found correct upon verificationThe minister also rubbished the BJPs contention that exgratia be paid to family members of the deceasedNeither the IPC nor the CrPC provides for compensation to a person accused of a crime Consuming any type of liquor is illegal under the prohibition law in Bihar he saidCompensation provided to victims of a hooch tragedy in Gopalganj in 2016 was through recovery made from those who were convicted in the case That is the provision under the law The government cannot immediately release exgratia in this case the minister addedAlso Read Bihar Nitish Kumar govt draws flak over refusal to compensate victims of hooch tragedyNotably the issue of exgratia has been a cause for much rhetoric inside the House where the chief minister has been rejecting the demand outright with the remark piyoge to maroge if you drink you shall be doomed to dieThe demand for compensation has also been coming from the CPIML Liberation which supports the government from outsideOn Monday a delegation of the CPIMLL met the chief minister at his chamber in the assembly premisesKumar asked the Left MLAs to desist from raising the demand which he claimed would be tantamount to falling into a trap laid by BJPThe minister also said that 25 people have so far been arrested in connection with the Saran hooch caseThe officers in charge of two police stations concerned besides village chowkidars have been suspended We are awaiting reports of police and excise departments and postmortem for further action added the ministerAsked about the NHRC notice slapped on the state government after the hooch incident he said We will extend full cooperation to the constitutional bodyThe minister added It is wrong to blame hooch deaths on prohibition Spurious liquor has claimed more lives in states like Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh and Haryana where there is no prohibition than in BiharIllicit liquor business is a means to make quick money The BJP which was all for prohibition while it was sharing power with us is wrongly drawing a connection between hooch deaths and liquor ban he saidHe also said the government will intensify the crackdown on violation of prohibition in force since April 2016 with particular emphasis on preventing the manufacture and sale of liquorEven those not belonging to the state will not be allowed to evade the dragnet Ever since the state went dry 7000 violators from outside Bihar have been arrested Many of them have been convicted claimed the ministerThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever