Satish  Aditya
Bettiah : West Champaran DM Kundan Kumar on July 16, 2021,  said that an inquiry by Excise and  Police is on into the deaths allegedly due to consumption of hooch on July 15, 2021,  evening, reported from few villages under Lauriya and Ramnagar blocks in the district.  Eight cases of deaths allegedly due to consumption of  spurious country liquor were reported on July 15, 2021.  Some others were reported to be receiving medical treatment.

DM Kundan Kumar said, ” We knocked every door on July 15, 2021, night, at these these villages and talked to the local residents to know the  facts.” Talking to  mediapersons, the DM said that he and SP K G Yadav visited  the house of deceased  Rasul Mian  at village Bagahi and a person of Deorawa village and talked to their family members but they denied consumption of liquor by their family members and sad they were not keeping well for a reasonable  time. They also showed   documents relating to their  medical treatment.

One Mumtaz of  Deorawa village was found admitted at a nursing home at Bettiah and his brother admitted that his condition deteriorated after he consumed spurious liquor on July 15 night and also  named an accused, a co-villager, who had supplied the liquor. Police immediately registered a case in this connection and  detained 4 persons involved in the racket.They are being quizzed. Medical teams have been deployed at the villages concerned to ensure treatment of  anyone found ill.

The DM said that six  cases of  death are under investigation by probe teams and and appropriate action would  be initiated if it was found that the deaths took place  due to consumption of hooch.