BJP expels hooch tragedy accused from party; NSA to be invoked against 5 arrested

Aligarh, June 6

The Uttar Pradesh BJP unit on Monday expelled Rishi Sharma, the alleged kingpin in the hooch tragedy case, from the party and said he was not an active member.

District president of BJP Rishipal Singh has cancelled Rishi Sharma’s primary membership, a party press release said.

“Hooch tragedy accused Rishi Sharma is neither an active member in the BJP nor has he been given any responsibility in the organisation.

“However, if he is saying that he is in some way connected to the party, then, on the direction of the state leadership, his primary membership is immediately annulled and he is expelled from the party,” it said.

Aligarh police have started the process of charging all the five main accused including Sharma, who was arrested on Sunday, under the stringent National Security Act and the Gangster Act, Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said.

The accused are being interrogated and are expected to reveal the entire network of the liquor mafia, police sources said.

They said Rishi Sharma was in disguise and hiding among a group of sadhus at an ashram at Garhmukteshwar near Hapur to evade the police.

Police had managed to trace his whereabouts from the video footage of one of his close associates with whom he was last seen when the news of the liquor tragedy, which has claimed at least 35 lives, started trickling on the night of May 27.

During the past week, police raided the premises of several of Sharma’s associates in different states including Himachal Pradesh.

After they traced him to Garhmukteshwar Ashram on Saturday evening, a police party rushed there only to discover that he had escaped.

With the help of some informers, he was tracked down at the Aligarh-Bulandshahr border where he was ultimately nabbed after a manhunt lasting nine days. PTI