Indore, Oct 24 Authorities in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday dismissed claims by residents of a village that at least 10 persons have died from consumption of spurious liquor between September 27 and October 16, prompting the opposition Congress to allege that the “liquor mafia” was being “protected”.
Former sarpanch Sunil Patel claimed at least 10 persons have died after consuming poisonous liquor between September 27 and October 16 in Chandana village, adding that three persons had lost their eyesight and two were admitted to different hospitals.
The deceased had experienced symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and foaming at the mouth before succumbing, he said.
“At this point, we cannot say whether the liquor was sold from a licensed shop. Alcohol sold illegally in the villages may be poisonous or counterfeit,” Patel alleged.
Labelling these claims as “false and misleading’, the Dewas district administration, in a statement, said 10 persons died in Chandana village between October 1 and 15, but not because of poisonous liquor.
“Liquor seized during the investigation was from licensed shops, and chemical tests and post-mortems did not confirm the presence of poison. No patient was admitted to any health centre or hospital in the district or nearby for cases of consumption of poisonous liquor, visual impairment, or poisoning,” the statement said.
“Two persons died of natural causes, three died due to old age and general health reasons, while one person died due to a brain haemorrhage. Two died due to accidental causes while working in the fields. The remaining two persons were already unwell and died due to pre-existing illnesses and deterioration of health due to excessive alcohol consumption,” it added.
District Magistrate in-charge Dalip Kumar said post mortem has been conducted in two cases and viscera samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination.
“The cause of death will be clear only after the viscera examination report is received. Appropriate action will be taken based on the report,” he said.
Kumar also said the state excise department tested the liquor of the relevant batch number stored in a licensed shop and has confirmed it was not poisonous.
Meanwhile, MP Congress president Jitu Patwari reached Chandana village and met with the families of the “victims”.
He claimed 22 people have died and at least 40 have lost their eyesight in Chandana and surrounding areas over the past month due to poisonous liquor.
“The administration is concealing these deaths and protecting the liquor mafia,” Patwari alleged.
(PTI News)
