'Spurious liquor' claims seven lives in dry Bihar; police launch probe

While locals attribute the deaths to illicit liquor, police claim that at least two deaths were unrelated. The cause of the remaining five deaths remains unclear

At least seven people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Bihar’s West Champaran district, despite the state’s prohibition on alcohol.

 

The deaths occurred in the Lauriya police station area, with the first death reported on January 15. However, police only became aware of the situation on January 19, by which time all seven bodies had been cremated, making it challenging to determine the exact cause of death, officials said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

 

Cause of death unclear: Police

 

Shaurya Suman, the Superintendent of Police, told news agency PTI that while locals attribute the deaths to illicit liquor, at least two fatalities were unrelated. One person died in a tractor accident, and another suffered a paralytic attack.

 

"The cause of the remaining five deaths remains unclear. We have constituted an investigation team to uncover the truth," Suman said.

 

West Champaran's Deputy Development Commissioner, Sumit Kumar, acknowledged the challenges posed by the cremation of the bodies and directed the inquiry team to submit its findings within 24 hours. The team will also work to identify individuals who have died in the area over the past three to four days.

 

A family member of one of the deceased alleged that his brother, Pradeep, and his friend, Manish, consumed liquor together, which led to their deaths.

 

Alcohol ban in Bihar

 

Bihar implemented a statewide alcohol ban in 2016 under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s administration. Despite this, incidents of toxic liquor consumption have persisted, with several such cases reported annually.

 

However, the prohibition policy has shown some positive outcomes, as highlighted by a study published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia. The research estimated that the alcohol ban prevented 2.4 million cases of regular alcohol consumption and 2.1 million instances of intimate partner violence. Additionally, the ban is believed to have prevented 1.8 million men in Bihar from becoming overweight or obese.

 

Before the prohibition, Bihar ranked sixth in the country for alcohol consumption, with an annual per capita intake of 14.7 liters, according to 2011-12 data from the National Sample Survey Office. The National Family Health Survey (2015-16) revealed that 29 per cent of men and less than 1 per cent of women aged 15 and above admitted to consuming alcohol.