Report on More Hooch Victims Pour in Hospitals
Report on More Hooch Victims Pour in Hospitals
More Hooch Victims Pour in Hospitals
Our Political Bureau
Mumbai, 10th July, 2022
Municipal hospitals across Mumbai continue to register more casualties in the Hooch tragedy. The toll from the spurious liquor tragedy in suburban Vikroli along has mounted to 65 with seven more persons succumbing to the lethal drink. The condition of a majority of the over 80 people undergoing treatment is reported to be serious. Of the 174 affected individuals admitted to the Rajawadi hospital in Ghatkopar, 49 succumbed to internal haemorrhage caused by the spurious liquor. “Ten persons were brought dead”, said hospital dean Dr. V.B. Shukla. In Sion hospital, six of the 34 persons admitted died, hospital sources said. Over 80 people are still under going treatment in the hospitals, while some have been discharged.
Taking stern action against the erring officials the State Government on Tuesday suspended 27 officials including five from the excise department and 22 policemen. The Police also arrested 24 persons in neighbouring Thane and Nhava Sheva for their alleged involvement in the illicit liquor trade. Taking a serious note of the tragedy, the Maharashtra Government today decided to hand over the probe into the spurious liquor tragedy, to the CID, “The CID will conduct a thorough probe into the illicit liquor tragedy, once the present probe being handled by an officer of the rank of Additional Police Commissioner is completed”, State Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil, who also holds the home portfolio. Following the twin Hooch tragedy, massive raids have been conducted over the last two days at various places in Navi Mumbai, Raigad and Thane said the deputy CM. He said, that a large stock of illegal liquor had been destroyed. He attributed the tragedy to the small number of licenced liquor shops and availability of cheaper illegal liquor.
Interestingly, the proposal to legalise bootleggers, by offering them country liquor licences was raised during the winter session in Nagpur. However, it is believed that the political parties were divided on this front, which is why the subject was not brought up for discussion at the cabinet meeting today. The Deputy CM also gave a clean chit to city police chief A.N. Roy, whose transfer was sought by opposition leader Narayan Rane holding him responsible for the incidents. “The Police Commissioner had directed police officials to take precautionary measures”, said Patil.