Gujarat Police has formed a special team to investigate the hooch tragedy and submit a report for the same.
Mumbai:
The Gujarat police have arrested 2500 people and have seized liquor worth Rs.1.5 crores in relation to the deaths caused by illicit liquor (Hooch tragedy) in the state’s Ahmedabad and Bothad districts, informed a police officer.
The director general of police Narsimha Komar said that statewide action has been taken to enforce the ban and 198 cases have been registered for the sale of Indian Manufactured Abroad Liquor (IMFL) along with 191 accused in the last 48 hours. For alcohol produced in the country, 3,971 cases have been recorded and 2,405 defendants arrested.
The liquor tragedy came into observation on Monday when some people living in Rojid village of Botad who consumed illicit alcohol were sent to government hospitals in Botad due to deteriorating health conditions.
Currently, around 100 people are under treatment at different hospitals after consuming poisonous chemical that was mixed with water and sold to them under the guise of country-made liquor, three in critical condition.
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Six police have been suspended due to the tragedy.
Three FIRs have been filed against nearly 20 people, under sections 302,382 and 102-B f the IPC. Forensic reports showed the substance consumed by the deceased contained 99% methyl alcohol.
Gujarat is a “dry” state where the production, sale and consumption of alcohol is prohibited. Under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, police can arrest a person for purchasing, consuming or serving unlicensed alcohol with sentences ranging from three months to five years in prison.
The police has arrested 15 persons so far in connection with the incident and has carried out an operation in which they recovered 550 liters of the methyl alcohol that was stolen and sold by the accused through a network.
The Gujarat Home Department has formed a three-member committee headed by Indian high-ranking police officer Subhash Trivedi to conduct a detailed investigation into the incident and submit a report within three days.
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