UP hooch tragedy: NHRC issues notices to UP chief secretary, DGP

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of reports that more than 26 people have died and several others are critical after consuming spurious liquor in Etah and Farukhabad districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Reportedly five government employees including three from the state excise department have been suspended following the incident.

Expressing it concern over the loss of life due to consumption of spurious liquor, the commission has observed that the reported suspensions of some public servants in the matter, point towards negligence on the part of the official machinery, which resulted in the tragedy.

Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police Government of Uttar Pradesh calling reports in the matter. They have been given four weeks to respond.

The teams have recovered huge quantity of illicit liquor and its raw material from various places including Bareilly, Kushinagar, Bijnore, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Etah, Mau and Kanpur Dehat. Police also arrested several persons in the matter.

Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed profound grief over the loss of lives.

Gandhi, who took to micro-blogging site to express his condolences to the victims' families, said all those responsible must be brought to book

"My deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this tragedy," he tweeted.

"V.sad to learn that many ppl have lost their lives in Etah,UP because of consuming spurious liquor.Those responsible must be brought to book (sic)," he said in another tweet.