Spurious liquor claims 19 lives in Odisha

Patnaik orders a judicial enquiry in hooch tragedy

PTI | February 8, 2012



 With 14 more persons succumbing to illness caused by spurious liquor, the death toll in Odisha hooch tragedy mounted to 19 on Wednesday prompting the state government to order a judicial probe into the episode.

As many as 13 persons, who drank on Monday night at a country liquor joint in Mahidharpada area of Cuttack district, are now undergoing treatment at the S C B Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, official sources said.

The toll, which stood at five the previous day, has now risen to 19 with more deaths reported during treatment, hospital's superintendent D N Moharana said.

Deaths have taken place in several villages spread over Mahidharpada and Balianta areas of Cuttack and adjoining Khurda districts respectively, district Collector Girish said.

People within five km radius of Mahidharpada have been affected by the killer drink, he said, adding the tragedy struck due to a deadly mixture as country liquor had been mixed with some cough syrup procured from a pharma company located at Rasulgarh area of Bhubaneswar.

The pharmaceutical company's unit was raided and sealed last night and further investigation was on, he said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has ordered a judicial inquiry into the hooch tragedy, official sources said. 

The victims, mostly workers of a nearby brick kiln, complained of chest and eye pain after consuming liquor and all of them were taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The deceased included owner of the liquor joint, Baidhar Bhoi, who had been arrested thrice for involvement in illegal sale of country liquor, sources said.

Baidhar's son Benudhar Bhoi and his wife Chhabi have been arrested in connection with the incident.

"We have seized a huge quantity of liquid mixture stored at Bhoi's liquor shop. Most of the deceased were suspected to have consumed the mixture available in the brand name of 'Jinger' and 'Suravhi'," state excise commissioner Sudarsan Nayak said.


Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter