BETTIAH/GOPALGANJ: At least 24 people have died and several others fell ill after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Gopalganj and West Champaran districts of Bihar, where total prohibition is in place, in the last two days. TOI had reported about the Goalganj tragedy in its Thursday edition.
Eight persons died on Thursday after allegedly consuming hooch in Telhua village at Bettiah, the headquarters of West Champaran district, while the toll in the Gopalganj incident climbed to 16 on Thursday with six more deaths being confirmed by the district authorities. The administrations of both districts have not confirmed the cause of the deaths so far.
The Telhua hooch tragedy is already the third such incident in north Bihar in the last ten days. Bihar minister Janak Ram rushed to Gopalganj. He later told reporters: “I have visited the houses of persons who died allegedly because of consuming spurious liquor. It could be a conspiracy to defame the NDA government.”
Gopalganj SP Anand Kumar said “Some people have died under mysterious circumstances in Muhammadpur village in the district in the last two days. The cause of their death cannot be confirmed as autopsy reports are still awaited. Three teams are probing the case.”
Some of the bodies have been cremated by their families, the police said. They said that four persons died on Thursday when they were undergoing treatment and another two on way to the hospital.