Azamgarh illicit liquor incident: Toll rises to 18, DM orders magisterial enquiry

The death toll in the Azamgarh hooch case rose to 18 on Sunday, with over a dozen people battling for life in different hospitals, after consuming illicit liquor at Kewathiya village in Uttar Pradesh following which six excise department officials and three policemen were suspended.

According to recent reports, the DM said the authorities were in the process of confirming the actual figure of casualties and the reasons involved. He, however, confirmed the magisterial probe.

Taking a serious note of the incident, the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered immediate suspension of police station incharge of Raunapar Nadeem Ahmed, SI Santosh Kumar Singh and beat constable Shashi Kumar in connection with the incident.

The truck driver, Pala Singh, was arrested and he confessed that the liquor was being smuggled from Haryana to Lucknow, the SP said.

OneIndia News