UP hooch tragedy toll goes up to 90

Following the death of three more people in this district of Uttar Pradesh, the toll in the Hooch tragedy increased to 90, while over three dozen people continue to undergo treatment in various hospitals, police sources said on Tuesday.
Sources said here that Dharm Pal (50), resident of Shivpur village in the Deoband police station area died in the hospital, whereas Jonny, resident of Kolki Kalan village in the Gagalhedi police station area and Kamal in Nangla Ahir village died on Monday night. Their families took the bodies without completing the postmortem facilities, sources added.
Meanwhile, an Special Investigation Team formed under ADG (Railway) Sanjay Singhal has started a probe into the deaths.
Mr Singhal is expected to personally meet the families of the deceased and issue a statement on Tuesday evening.
Commissioner CP Tripathi said that the investigation of the SIT will be completed in 10 days.
As of now, the dependents of 36 deceased people have been provided an ex gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh each.
Notably, dozens of people died after consuming spurious liquor in Saharanpur, Kushinagar and Uttarakhand between February 6 and 12.
The maximum deceased were from 16 villages of Saharanpur district’s Gagalheri, Nangal and Deoband police station area.
Saharanpur’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dinesh Kumar informed that the district police and the Haridwar police is carrying out joint action to crackdown on the centers selling illicit liquor.
The SSP claimed that all the liquor mafia had been identified, adding that 10 people were primarily involved in the spurious liquor case.
Mr Kumar said that Sardar Hardev Singh, resident of Punden village in the Gagalhedi police station area of Saharanpur, Sukhwinder Singh aka Sukha from the Chunheti Shekh village, their aide residing in neighbouring Ladi village Guru Sahab aka Ladi, Punden resident Tinku and Chunheti Shekh resident Sarvesh Gupta aka Pinky have been arrested.
The SSP said that the police was currently in search of Punden resident Lakhwinder aka Baba, Bhartu, a resident of Gram Punden, Rishipal, a resident of Gram Bhalsawa in Nangal police station area and Arjun, a resident of Gram Dadli Tejpur district in Haridwar, who were the members of the gang selling spurious liquor.
The SSP said that Ladi was earlier arrested and subsequently sent to jail in relation to selling illicit liquor in December.(UNI)