Amritsar hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 23

Amritsar | The death toll in the hooch tragedy here climbed to 23, with two more people dying in the Majitha area, police said on Wednesday.

They said both the deceased hailed from Bhangwan village.

Two more people have died in Majitha after drinking spurious liquor, taking the death toll to 23, a senior police official said.

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney also confirmed the death toll has reached 23.

Those who died after allegedly drinking spurious liquor in Majitha were mostly daily wagers.

The deaths were reported in Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Talwandi Khumman, Karnala, Bhangwan and Therewal villages, officials said.

Police have already arrested 10 people, including the alleged kingpin, in the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Majitha) Amolak Singh and Station House Officer of Majitha police station Avtar Singh for negligence, police said.

Two officers of the excise department have also been suspended.

A police probe revealed that methanol -- a chemical used in industrial products -- was procured in bulk online to prepare the toxic brew.

Methanol is a light, colourless organic chemical compound which is poisonous when ingested and is illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, which is the normal consumable alcohol.

Victims' families were distraught.

Manjit Kaur, who lost her brother Joginder Singh, said it would be difficult for her family to make ends meet now.

The family of Ramandeep Singh (38), who was from Bhangali Kalan village, is struggling to come to terms with the loss. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased and said that the state government would bear the entire expense of education of the children of the victims.

Two separate cases have been registered at Majitha and Kathunangal police stations in Amritsar Rural under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant sections of the Excise Act and the SC/ST Act.