A suspected hooch tragedy in dry Bihar, has left two people dead. Another two have lost their eyesight. This after drinking spurious liquor in Muzaffarpur district, a police officer said on Sunday.
According to Additional SP Awadhesh Dixit, the incident was reported from Qazi Mohammadpur police station area. The wife and daughter of the alleged supplier, who is on the run, have been taken into custody.
"We received information that in the Pokharia Pir Mohalla, Umesh Sah (55) and Pappu Ram had died. Their families said they came home drunk three days ago, took ill and their condition continued to worsen despite medical treatment," Dixit told PTI-Bhasha over the phone.
"Two others, Dharmendra Ram and Raju Ram, both residents of the same locality, reported loss of eyesight. Dharmendra Ram told the police that they had purchased liquor from Shivchandra Paswan, whose family is involved in the illegal trade," said the ASP.
According to a statement issued by the district police headquarters, the bodies have been sent for post-mortem while a team of forensic experts is looking for clues.
Deadly concoction
The two survivors, who lost their eyesight, told reporters that they frequently visited Paswan’s hideout, situated close to a local ice factory, for their quota of toddy.
On the day of the tragedy, they were told by Paswan that toddy was not available and offered a concoction promising it would give them a high.
The Nitish Kumar government imposed a complete ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in Bihar in 2016.
The ban extends to toddy, mahua and other forms of locally made intoxicants.
Meanwhile, the ASP said a search was on for Paswan, who has been jailed in the past for flouting the prohibition law.
Paswan's wife and daughter are being interrogated by police.
