Ten dead in hooch tragedy in Gaya

Of the victims, nine persons died in Rampur police station area and one in Cherki police station, while four were being treated at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College in Gaya town, police sources said.

Bihar DGP Abhyanand entrusted Deputy Inspector General of Police, Magadh range, Nayyer Hussein Khan to investigate the deaths.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Gaya, Vinay Kumar said the police raided a godown in Bindi Yadav market belonging to Mantu Yadav the brother of RJD MLA from Belaganj Surendra Yadav and seized a large quantity of hooch in pouches.

The SSP said the hooch from the godown was identical to that from which the deaths occurred.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had yesterday said that the state government has launched a crackdown on illegal liquor traders.

He had said he was personally in favour of prohibition, but it was not possible as seen in states which have done so and the solution lay in dismantling the illegal liquor trade network.