Punjab Hooch Tragedy: The death toll due to suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab’s Sangrur has gone up to 20. Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Saturday sought an immediate report from the Punjab chief secretary and the director general of police on the hooch tragedy.
The Election Commission has directed Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma and DGP Gaurav Yadav to submit reports to it on the incident. In a letter, the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C asked the two senior officials to submit preliminary and detailed reports regarding the incident on Saturday, according to an official statement.
The officials earlier said that a four-member special investigation team (SIT), led by an additional director general of police rank officer, has been set up in connection with the incident.
The Punjab Police said that alcohol containing methanol was used for making spurious liquor in Sangrur district and that it has arrested eight out of the 10 identified accused in the case.
ADGP G S Dhillon, while addressing the media in Chandigarh, said three FIRs have been lodged so far in connection with this incident adding that out of 10, eight accused including two masterminds, Harmanpreet Singh and Gurlal Singh have been arrested. Dhillon said three FIRs have been lodged at police stations Dirba, City Sunam, and Cheema in this case.
Replying to a question, Dhillon said police would investigate whether there was any “conspiracy angle or a profit motive” behind the incident.
Lashing out at Punjab’s AAP Government over the hooch tragedy, the SAD and the BJP asked why Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has not directed his Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema to resign till now.
Tarun Chugh, the BJP national general secretary, alleged that the tragedy was the result of the “liquor scam” that has been going on in the state under the patronage of the AAP government.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Punjab BJP on Saturday met the state Chief Electoral Officer and pressed for an ED probe into the state excise policy, alleging “black money received by AAP through kickbacks” could be used during the Lok Sabha elections.
“Twenty people have died so far in the incident while 11 people are undergoing treatment at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital and six at the Civil Hospital in Sangrur,” said Sangrur Civil Surgeon Kirpal Singh on Saturday.
Casualties have been reported from Gujran, Tibbi Ravidaspura and Dhandoli Khurd villages in Dirba and Sunam blocks, said the officials.
(With PTI inputs)
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