National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Wednesday took suo motu cognizance of media reports about the death of at least six persons after they consumed spurious liquor in Aurangabad and Gaya districts of Bihar.
“Reportedly, earlier, in a similar incident in Madhepura, a number of people had died in the recent past,” the commission said and expressed serious concern over reoccurrence of such incidents despite a complete ban on liquor in the state. “The commission has observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, amount to violation of human rights. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police (DGP) of Bihar, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks, including action taken against the guilty and steps taken/proposed to be taken to check such painful incidents in future,” NHRC deputy director (media) Jaimini Kumar Shrivastava said.
The commission has further observed that the manufacturing, sales and consumption of liquor has been banned in Bihar since April 2016. “In spite of this, a number of people have died in different parts of the state due to consumption of spurious liquor. Apparently, the law enforcing agencies have not been able to successfully implement the provisions of the law. As a result, the perpetrators are indulging in unlawful manufacturing and sale of illicit liquor causing irrevocable loss to the families of the victims,” the commission has observed.
Aurangabad SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra said on Tuesday that 70 people had been arrested in the district since Sunday in connection with hooch deaths.
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