Bihar hooch case.
Bihar Hooch Case: Two Liquor Mafia Arrested
Bihar Hooch Case: The special investigation team (SIT) investigating the largest hooch tragedy in dry Bihar’s Saran district, in which at least 70 people died, arrested two liquor mafia members in connection with the case, police said on Sunday, adding that they recovered 2.17 lakh in cash.
Santosh Kumar, the superintendent of police in Saran, confirmed the arrest and identified the suspects as Akhilesh Kumar Yadav, alias Akhilesh Rai, and Anil Singh. “Akhilesh Rai, a Panapur resident, is the main operator of the liquor smuggling trade from outside Bihar, while Anil Singh’s involvement was revealed during Rai’s interrogation,” said the SP.
The initial interrogation of the two accused revealed that they brought spirit from Uttar Pradesh and used it in the production of spurious liquor, which was consumed in large quantities by villagers in the Mashrakh, Marhaura, Ishuapur, Amnaur, Tariyya, Baniyapur, and Parsa blocks of Saran district on Tuesday night, resulting in the deaths.
Though the two arrested are not named in two FIRs filed at Mashrakh and Ishuapur police stations in connection with the deaths caused by the consumption of illegal liquor, their involvement was discovered during the SIT’s investigation in the last few days, according to police.
The Police Investigation
Three of the named accused in the liquor smuggling/trading — Kunal Singh, Ramji Shah, and Mukesh Singh — died in the alleged hooch incident.
A senior police officer said that on Sunday evening, police seized a register and records for transporting and manufacturing illegal liquor consignment from the accused in Panapur, a riverine area in Saran district.
Bihar Hooch Case.:So far, hospital records indicate the deaths of 70 people, with the Saran administration confirming the deaths of 38 others.
Rai and Singh have several cases pending against them in connection with illicit liquor manufacturing and smuggling. According to the Saran SP, Rai is facing six liquor-related cases, while Anil is facing four cases with the Masrakh and Ishuapur police stations. “We’re also looking into all of their case histories and their illicit liquor supply network,” the SP added.
The state government, under fire from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the incident, formed a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the hooch tragedy and those responsible for brewing illegal liquor.Police teams have been conducting raids in Chhapra and surrounding areas to apprehend suspected illegal liquor traders and mafia.
Also Read : Bihar Hooch Tragedy: Liquor Or Life , 73 People Died So Far, Many Houses Destroyed
FIRs Filed
According to police, 13 people have been named in the FIRs filed in this case.
According to police officers familiar with the situation, the SIT has also detained several suspected liquor mafia members for questioning. “We are also questioning a few other suspects to find out how the illegal liquor was being sold in Saran,” the SP said.
Bihar Hooch Case: Following the hooch tragedy in Saran, which has captured national attention, Saran police have launched an operation to identify and arrest people suspected of being involved in illegal liquor trade, transportation, smuggling, and brewing.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Modi accused the state government on Sunday of suppressing death figures and failing to combat the illicit liquor trade in Bihar. “By denying compensation to families of those who died after consuming illicit liquor in Saran recently, the government is demonstrating an insensitive approach to the victims of the Saran hooch tragedy,” he added.
