Spurious Liquor Crisis Deepens: Death Toll Hits 18 In Four Days, Ten Arrested Across Haryana

In the latest development regarding the tragic deaths attributed to the consumption of spurious liquor in Haryana, four additional fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours, bringing the total toll to 18 over the course of four days. The victims, identified as Paramjit (48), Rishi Pal (45), and Arun Kumar (30), all hailing from Yamunanagar district, succumbed to the effects of the illicit liquor. The identity of the fourth victim remains unconfirmed at this time, Hindustan Times reported. 

Yamunanagar police, responding swiftly to the crisis, has established a special investigation team (SIT) and apprehended three local individuals, Mahender, Subhash, and Radhe, on Saturday. These arrests add to the total of ten individuals detained in connection to the case, including two illegal vendors and four in Ambala.

The tragedy has unfolded across five villages in Yamunanagar district, with Panjeto Ka Majra and Phoosgarh among the affected areas. Himadree Kaushik, the additional superintendent of police, disclosed that a total of 16 deaths have occurred in the district, with seven previous arrests providing critical leads that implicate several others in the illegal liquor network. Villagers are being cautioned against consuming the specific brand, locally made Malta liquor with a batch date of November 16, 2021, produced by Oasis Overseas Distillery.

The police initiated warnings on Wednesday, targeting the locally manufactured Malta liquor and tracing its supply to a makeshift site in Dhanoura village under the jurisdiction of Mullana police station in Ambala district. A raid conducted on Wednesday night yielded 14 empty drums and materials used in the production of the illicit liquor. The investigation is ongoing to determine the commencement of the illicit liquor production and identify those involved.

The victims, primarily laborers, underscore the vulnerability of marginalized communities to such incidents. The tragedy has prompted a visit from Arshinder Singh Chawla, additional director general of police, Haryana state enforcement bureau.

In response to the crisis, Haryana school education minister Kanwar Pal, representing the Yamunanagar district, pledged to seek financial assistance for the affected families from Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He assured a comprehensive inquiry into the incident, vowing that no culprit would be spared.

However, opposition parties have criticized the government's handling of the situation. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Haryana chief minister and Congress leader, emphasized the government's failure to learn from past incidents, attributing the tragedy to the spread of the black market for intoxicants under the current administration. INLD leader Abhay Chautala echoed these sentiments, stating that proactive action could have prevented the recent deaths if lessons had been heeded from prior incidents.