Slap murder charge on hooch tragedy accused, says Punjab CM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5

In an important development, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today directed the DGP to book those directly involved in the spurious liquor case for murder under Section 302 of the IPC.

Promising justice to the victims, the Chief Minister also mooted enhancement of punishment for spurious liquor manufacturing and smuggling under the Excise Act to ensure that repeat offenders remained behind bars and were not able to come out easily to indulge again in the crime.

‘Stringent action under excise act’

Promising justice to the victims, the Chief Minister mooted enhancement of punishment for spurious liquor manufacturing and smuggling under the Excise Act to ensure that repeat offenders remained behind bars and were not able to come out easily to indulge in the crime again .

On a suggestion of Advocate General Atul Nanda that a strict law like PCOCA was needed to combat organised crime like illicit liquor smuggling, the Chief Minister asked the sub-committee, headed by Brahm Mohindra to examine the provisions of the proposed law, to finalise and submit its report at the earliest.

The Chief Minister’s directives came during two separate video-conferences — one a Cabinet meeting and the other a review meeting of the case with top police and administrative officials. The Chief Minister also led his council of ministers in observing a two-minute silence as a mark of homage to the victims of the tragedy.

“Finish off this business, clean up the border. This has to stop,” the Chief Minister told the district officials, adding that the illicit liquor business had been going on in border areas for a long time, with use of lahan, but now it had assumed an even more dangerous proportions with the new trend of smuggling from neighbouring states.

The Chief Minister set a 10-day deadline for the concerned DCs and police officers to identify and process cases to provide targeted additional relief for their families. The Chief Minister has already announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia compensation to the families of each of the victims of the tragedy, in which the death toll currently stands at 113, with several more under treatment, which is being provided free in hospitals.

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