As many as 17 people died on Wednesday after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Bihar’s Saran district of Chhapra area. As relatives mourn the loss of their dear ones, authorities are yet to officially cite reasons behind the deaths.
While the sick were rushed to the hospital, one person named Amit Ranjan died while receiving treatment. The district police took Ranjan’s body into custody to ascertain the cause of his death.
The sale and consumption of alcohol were banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016
The state excise minister Sunil Kumar “vowed’ that the government would take “strict action” against culprits responsible for deaths.
“Process of filling an FIR is underway. I have spoken over the phone with SP. He confirmed the death of six people so far. We do not shy away from arresting or taking action in such cases, whenever there is any evidence,” Sunil Kumar said after being asked about police taking any action in this case.
Sharaabi ho tum: Nitish to opposition leader
Meanwhile, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday lost his cool in the state assembly when Opposition leaders attacked his government over several deaths due to spurious liquor in Saran district’s Chhapra area.
As the leader of the opposition, Vijay Kumar Sinha, questioned the state’s liquor ban policy since 2016, Nitish Kumar lost his temper and screamed at the BJP MLAs ”Sharabi ho gaye ho tum...(you are drunk)”
Reacting strongly the to ‘sharaabi’ remark, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said Kumar’s tenure as a chief minister is over.
He has lost his memory. He calls Prashant Kishor and BJP MLAs as ‘tu’, ‘tum’. It happened earlier as well. He loses his temper very often now. But his disposition was not like this before,” said the former state deputy CM.
(With inputs from ANI)
