Suspected Spurious Liquor Deaths Rise to 20 in MP’s Morena

At least 20 people from Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor late on Monday, 12 January.

Calling it a “sad and serious incident,” Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra added Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan’s views on the matter. The CM has expressed intolerance toward such mishaps, Mishra said. Further, the SP, Collector and SDOP have been immediately suspended and the local distillery will also be investigated, he told ANI.

Speaking to PTI on Tuesday, Sujania said that their preliminary reports suggest that the deceased consumed ‘white coloured liquid’. Several others were admitted in Gwalior for treatment after falling very ill. The deceased are from Pahawali and Manpur villages.

The autopsy will ascertain whether the liquid was poisonous, helping the police assess whether the deaths were because of toxic liquor, or whether they were due to “excessive liquor consumption”, an official had told PTI earlier.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with high-level officials to discuss the Morena incident on Wednesday, 13 January.

Home Minister Narottam Mishra said he was ‘deeply saddened’ and a team has been deployed to investigate the matter.“SHO has been suspended immediately. Senior officials have reached the site and a team will investigate the matter. Accused won’t be spared,” ANI had quoted him as saying.

The District Collector and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Morena have been removed from their posts due to this incident, reported ANI.

“News of deaths due to spurious liquor has been common in our country. It has become so common that the ruling government, the police and society – no one is willing to take such incidents seriously”, stated Saamana, Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece editorial, quoted ANI.

Shiv Sean suggested that the incidents will be tackled only if those manufacturing the mixed liquor are removed, reported ANI.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)