Spurious liquor tragedy: Toll climbs to 8, officials suspended

The toll in the illicit liquor tragedy here went up to eight today with the death of two more people even as three excise officials were suspended for laxity.
Shiv Kumar (40) and Kallu (50), who had also consumed the spurious liquor yesterday, succumbed today at a hospital here, official sources said.
Following the death of six people of Mahona west village yesterday, excise teams carried out massive searches in the district and sealed country liquor outlets in Salon and Hathkila areas, said District Magistrate Jagatraj Tewari.
The sale of the local brand of liquor, which was consumed by the victims, has also been banned, he added.

Tewari said that Excise Inspector Ravindra Prasad and two other department staff had been suspended for laxity and a magisterial inquiry having been ordered into the incident.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Mining, Gayatri Prasad Prajapati, said that the state government has awarded ex-gratia payments of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, besides a Lohia Awas and pension for the widows.