Amritsar hooch tragedy: ‘Kingpin', 9 others arrested, Majitha DSP, SHO suspended for negligence
The Amritsar district administration received information Monday night about the deteriorating health of people from multiple villages in Majitha sub-division of the rural police district. Overall, 31 people who consumed the spurious liquor were admitted in hospital, of which 21 people succumbed.
Majitha Deputy Superintendent of Police Amolak Singh and Station House Officer Sub-Inspector Avtar Singh were suspended for gross negligence and a departmental enquiry initiated against them.
New Delhi: The Punjab Police Tuesday arrested 10 people including the alleged kingpin behind the distribution of spurious liquor that led to the deaths of 21 people in Amritsar district.
Paying a visit to the epicentre of the tragedy, Bhangali village, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that no one, irrespective of their clout, will be spared because poor people have been killed in the tragedy. He announced Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for the kin of the victims as well government jobs for family members.
Mann said a police probe has so far revealed that the kingpin had ordered around 600 litres of methanol, adding that the entire supply chain will be established.
Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the district's medical team has been going door-to-door to check for symptoms.
'Gross negligence'
The Punjab Police lodged two FIRs under sections 105 and 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 61A of the Excise Act and Section 3 of the SC/ST Act at Majitha and Kathunangal police stations in the district.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said accused Sahib Singh had been identified as the main supplier of the methanol, along with local distributors and sellers Prabhjit Singh and Kulbir Singh, Ninder Kaur, Gurjant Singh, Arun alias Kala and Sikander Singh alias Pappu.
Two methanol suppliers had also been identified—Pankaj Kumar alias Sahil and Arvind Kumar, owners of Ludhiana-based firm Sahil Chemicals.
Amritsar Rural SSP Maninder Singh said Sahib Singh had ordered methanol via an online platform from Sahil Chemicals, and the substance was further handed over to local distributor Prabhjeet Singh in jerry cans from kingpin Sahib Singh.
SSP Singh further said that another consignment of 600 litres of methanol ordered by Sahib Singh from Delhi had been seized by Patiala district police based on a tip-off.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
Also Read: Stoicism with a hint of anguish—a view of India-Pakistan tensions from border villages near Amritsar
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