Ujjain Hooch Tragedy: Doctors Say Most People Died Within 15 Minutes
The Madhya Pradesh government invoked the strict NSA (National Security Act) against three smugglers arrested after the sale and consumption of illicit liquor killed 14 people, most of whom were beggars or poor workers, in the district of Ujjain earlier this week.
In addition, three senior police officers have been transferred, including the Ujjain Police Superintendent (SP) and Additional Superintendent (ASP), and another SP, Rajnish Kashyap, has been suspended. Two police officers, a doctor and an employee of a medical store have been arrested for their alleged role in making the fake liquor available to smugglers.
So far, 10 people have been arrested and four police officers suspended or transferred.
Apart from the arrest, transfer and suspension of police personnel, Ujjain Deputy Excise Commissioner KC Agnihotri and Deputy Municipal Commissioner Subodh Jain have been displaced and suspended respectively.
According to PTI, Subodh Jain was allegedly close to two of the smugglers, identified as Sikandar and Gabbar, who were also contract workers with the Ujjain Municipal Corporation.
The houses that belong to them have also been demolished for having been built illegally.
All those involved in the uproar will be brought to justice, Ujjain collector Ashish Singh declared Thursday, warning of “cracking down on those who sell toxic liquor.” The NSA will be used against those people, Singh said.
Rupesh Dwivedi, a senior Ujjain police official, told PTI that investigations into the exact nature of the illegal liquor, including where it was produced and how it was distributed, are still ongoing.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced an investigation led by senior Interior Ministry official Rajesh Rajora.
“If something like this is sold elsewhere, the police should find out and prosecute offenders severely,” Chouhan said Thursday, “People who sell poisonous substances are enemies of society. They should be severely punished. Efforts should be made. to send people to the gallows. “
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