Hooch toll rises to 12; Mamata says liquor came from outside

The toll in the hooch tragedy in West Bengal's Nadia district rose to 12 with the death of five more people, an official said Thursday.

The condition of 25 other people, who were undergoing treatment at a hospital, was quite serious, District Magistrate Sumit Gupta said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the spurious liquor was being supplied from neighbouring states and asked the police to take strict action in this regard. She also asked the excise department to be proactive and conduct regular raids throughout the year and not just after an incident is reported.

Eleven excise department officials have been suspended following the liquor tragedy at Shantipur area of Nadia.

"The death toll is 12 now, including a woman. The condition of the 25 people, who are undergoing treatment at the Shantipur State General Hospital, is quite serious. Depending on the nature of their treatment, we will think of shifting them to hospitals in Kolkata," Gupta told PTI.

The state CID, which has taken over the case, has so far arrested four people in connection with their involvement in selling spurious liquor in Shantipur area, a senior officer of the agency said.

Asked whether the liquor was brought from outside the state, the officer said, "So far, the arrested people have not told us anything of such sort. We are conducting tests of the liquor and trying to find out whether they were mixed with any chemical from outside."
Asking the excise department to conduct raids regularly, Banerjee said, "You cannot conduct raids only after an incident is reported.... You have to be proactive."
He said, "If one Bengali died in Assam, the TMC, the CPI(M) hold rallies here. Why are they are silent now?"