Hyderabad: Excise Special Task Force (STF) teams carried out surprise inspections at several toddy (kallu) shops across the Greater Hyderabad area on Saturday, July 12, following a recent tragedy in which nine people died and over 50 others were hospitalised after consuming adulterated toddy.
Acting on the instructions of Excise commissioner Harikiran and enforcement assistant Commissioner Pranavi, the STF sealed an unlicensed toddy shop in Siddiq Nagar, Serilingampally, and registered a case against its operator.
Toddy samples for lab testing
The crackdown extended to other areas, including Balanagar, Moosapet, Kaithalapur, Musheerabad, and Kachiguda, where officials collected toddy samples for laboratory testing.
The action comes in the wake of reports that banned sedatives such as Alprazolam were mixed into the toddy, leading to the mass poisoning incident. Following the tragedy, excise police closed down several toddy shops in Balanagar, including those in Hydernagar, HMT Colony, Sardar Patel Nagar, and KPHB’s Bhagyanagar, after lab tests confirmed the presence of prohibited substances.
5 toddy shops seized
Authorities have so far arrested four individuals, Kuna Raviteja Goud, Kuna Saiteja Goud, Nagesh Goud, and Batti Srinivas Goud, on charges of adulterating toddy and causing harm to public health.
The number of seized toddy shops has reached five, while official records indicate there are 97 licensed toddy shops within Hyderabad’s jurisdiction. However, reports suggest that several operators are running unauthorised shops beyond the official count.
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