Hooch tragedy: CM Amarinder orders suspension, inquiry against 7 excise, 6 police officers

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 1

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered the suspension of, and inquiry against, seven Excise & Taxation Officers and Inspectors, along with two DSPs and four SHOs of Punjab Police, in connection with the hooch tragedy.

He has also announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia compensation to each of the families of the deceased, most of whom are from Tarn Taran, which accounts for 63 deaths, followed by Amritsar Rural 12 and Gurdaspur (Batala) 11. 

The Chief Minister announced the suspension of ETOs (Excise & Taxation Officers) Lovejinder Brar from Gurdaspur, BS Chahal from Amritsar and Madhur Bhatia from Tarn Taran. The Excise & Taxation Inspectors (ETIs) who have been suspended with immediate effect are Ravi Kumar (Gurdaspur), Gurdeep Singh (Amritsar) and Pukhraj from Fatehbad and Hitesh Prabhakar from City Tarn Taran in district Tarn Taran.

The police officials suspended on charges of negligence in duty include DSP Jandiala (Amritsar Rural) and DSP Sub-division Tarn Taran, and the SHOs of PS Tarsikka (Amritsar Rural), City Batala (Batala police district), PS Sadar Tarn Taran and PS City Tarn Taran.