M A I N   N E W S

Hooch claims 23 lives in Noida
Parminder Singh

Civil authorities demolish unauthorised food stalls, suspecting suppliers of illicit liquor, in Noida on Tuesday. — PTI photo

Noida, October 16
In a major hooch tragedy in Nithari village in Sector 33 of Noida 22 persons lost their lives while dozens of others were admitted to various hospitals, seven of them in precarious condition. They had been reportedly consuming illicit liquor since October 14 evening, and then collapsed in their homes.

In a hurriedly called press conference, Mr Deepak Singhal, Commissioner Meerut Division, and DIG, Meerut Range, Mr Arun Kumar, said only 17 persons had died and one had succumbed to the illness in the Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Another 17, Mr Deepak Singhal said were admitted to various hospitals in Nodia.

Mr Singhal said people had died after consuming liquor of “Tofa brand” which is manufactured in Muzafarnagar. Preliminary enquiries has revealed that Methyline spirit had been mixed in the liquor and most of the victims had the common symptoms of loose motions, vomiting and burning sensations etc . They had all bought the liquor from unauthorised places although there was a licensed vend in nearby Sector 9. There are 125 liquor vends in Noida out of which 65 are of country liquor.

Mr Singhal said an enquiry had been ordered which would be conducted by the Additional District Magistrate (Finance), Mr Arun Veer Singh.

Excise Inspector DPN Singh had been suspended. Five persons had been arrested for selling liquor. DIG Arun Kumar suspended the Staff Officer of Sector 20 police station Ajay Yadav and all the staff of the Sector 31 police post, including Sub-Inspector Samarpal Singh, Head Constable and nine constables.

All liquor pouches monograms of the distillery manufacturing them, but the pouches recovered by the police did not carry any monogram. All the victims were from lower middle and lower class families, the DIG said.

There had been complaints that illicit liquor was being sold freely in the locality under the eyes of the police and the excise authorities who apparently looked the other way. Only three days ago the driver of one Mr Sen had died after consuming illicit liquor.

Those who lost their lives were identified as Puppu Nai, Joginder, Kishore, Mohd Shakeel, master Budh Ram, Jaipal, Ishwer, Dillsukh, Rajveer, Shanker, Ishwer, Giriraj, Malkhan, Rohtash, Ramesh Chand, Mohinder, Kishore, Nepali, Rajwant, etc.

Those in serious condition in hospitals are Madan, Raju, Kailash, Suresh out of 11 patients admitted in Noida Midicare Centre, Ram Khilona, Rohtas Sharma out of 4 admitted in Kailash and Kale Khan in Metro hospital, Noida. Residents of the area said another five had died yesterday and were cremated hurriedly by their families. They alleged that illicit liquor was being freely sold in the Kiosk of the crossing of Sector 25 and 26.