Aligarh hooch tragedy: Post-mortem reveals 25 people died of alcohol poisoning

Post-mortem reports of bodies of 25 people who died after consuming spurious liquor in Aligarh indicate deaths due to alcohol poisoning, Aligarh district chief medical officer said on Sunday.

"We have conducted postmortem of 51 bodies. The findings in 25 of them are more suggestive of alcohol poisoning. Viscera of 26 have been kept and samples have been sent to Agra for testing. The reports are awaited," Aligarh district CMO, Dr BPS Kalayani told ANI.

On Saturday afternoon, District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said that a probe into the matter was initiated and will likely invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against those found guilty in the inquiry.

Three officials of the excise department, including District Excise Officer Dhiraj Sharma, have been suspended in connection with the deaths of people after allegedly consuming liquor sold by licensed vendors in Aligarh.

On May 28, Rajeev Krishna, ADG, Aligarh said one main accused Anil Chaudhary, the alleged kingpin of the spurious liquor racket was arrested and a further probe in the matter was underway.

Dozens of people died and many were hospitalised after allegedly consuming spurious liquor purchased from a government-run liquor shop on Friday (May 28) in the Karsua area of Aligarh.

Meanwhile, addressing reporters today in Mainpuri, Excise Minister Ram Naresh Agnihotri said, "The culprits in the Aligarh liquor tragedy will be punished surely. A reward has also been announced on the culprit. Chief Minister has given instructions to deal with the liquor mafias in all the districts."

These liquor consumption-related deaths are not new to Uttar Pradesh. On April 28, five persons died after allegedly consuming country-made liquor in Nagla Singhi village of Hathras. One person was arrested in connection, informed Hathras SP Vineet Jaiswal.

On March 22, four persons died allegedly after consuming spurious liquor at a village in the Rajapur area of Chitrakoot in the state, the police said.

( With inputs from ANI )