Punjab: Death Toll Reaches 20 In Sangrur Hooch Tragedy, 4-Member SIT Formed

Even as the death toll due to the consumption of suspected spurious liquor in Punjab’s Sangrur district swelled to 20 with six more persons succumbing on Saturday, the state government constituted a four-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incident.

It may be recalled that while 20 people have died so far in the incident reported from villages Gurjan, Tibbi Ravidaspuria and Dhandoli Khurd of Sangrur district since March 19 last, 11 persons are undergoing treatment at government hospitals at Patiala and Sangrur. The police has so far nabbed eight accused and recovered 200 litres of ethanol and about 400 bottles containing suspected spurious liquor, besides several equipment used for manufacturing and labelling spurious liquor from their possession.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party government has also been under severe attack from all the opposition parties – Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP in the state - over the incident ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

SIT formed

Meanwhile, the Punjab police on Saturday constituted a four-member SIT, headed by ADGP, Law and Order, Gurinder Singh Dhillon with DIG, Patiala Range, Harcharan Singh Bhullar, SSP Sangrur, Sartaj Chahal and Additional Commissioner (excise) Naresh Dubey, as its members.

ECI Seeks Report From CS, DGP

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India also sought on Saturday an immediate report from the Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) and DGP in the Sangrur hooch tragedy through Punjab CEO.

NHRC Seeks Report In 4 Weeks

It may be recalled that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already taken suo motu cognisance of media reports about the incident and issued the notices to the state CS and the DGP calling for a detailed report in the matter at the earliest but not later than four weeks. The NHRC said that the report should include the status of the FIR registered by the police, medical treatment of the victims and compensation if any, granted to the aggrieved families.