5 die in Bihar's Saran district, suspected to have consumed hooch

A total of five people have died in Bhualpur village in Bihar's Saran district in suspicious circumstances and it is suspected that they had consumed spurious liquor, an official said on Saturday.

"It is being said that these persons died after consuming alcohol however it is not yet confirmed if they actually drank it," Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Marhaura Saran, Yogendra Kumar said on Saturday. The incident took place on August 11.

According to the SDM, three people were admitted to the hospital as they were reported sick, while the bodies of two among the five deceased were sent for postmortem at the Saran hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Allauddin Khan, Kameshwar Mahato, Rohit Kumar Singh, Rajendra Ram, and Ram Laik Mahato.

Around 10-12 people were arrested on Friday night after the police personnel raided the premises of the Marhaura area.

Earlier on August 5, eight people were reported died and several others fell ill after consuming spurious liquor in Chhapra in the Saran district. People fell critically ill after allegedly consuming spurious liquor and lost their eyesight. The incident was reported from Bhatha village under the Maker police station area in Saran.

Following the incident, the Saran District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police met the victims at Sadar hospital. The officials also collected information from the villagers and the families as part of their investigation.

Saran DM said that victims were being treated at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) and a team of doctors and paramedical staff had been dispatched to the village to ascertain the cause of deaths.

The superintendent of the hospital Dr I S Thakur had said that the villagers were tested through a breath analyzer and at least 35 others were sent to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).

Despite a liquor ban in the state since April 2016, several such incidents have been reported in the past. Earlier on August 2, two people died after consuming spurious liquor at Panapur police station.