The death toll in Kallakuruchi hooch tragedy increased to 42 on Thursday and 116 persons are still undergoing treatment in hospitals in Kallakuruchi and neighbouring districts. The CB-CID has taken over the probe and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has appointed a one-member commission under former High Court Judge B. Gokuldas to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
Condoling the deaths in the tragic incident, Chief Minister Stalin said he is deeply anguished and is monitoring all steps being taken in connection with the incident. In a statement, Stalin said CB-CID has taken over the probe in the case and he has directed the home secretary, DGP to visit Kallakuruchi and take necessary action. “Home secretary and DGP would conduct necessary probe and submit a report within two days,” he said.
Stalin added a meeting was conducted with ministers, senior government and police officials and they were directed to take stern action against those indulging in the production of spurious liquor. “Authorities have been directed to arrest all involved in the production of illicit liquor immediately, and seize and destroy methanol used for production of hooch,” Stalin said. He added police have been directed to also find the source of methanol.
The chief minister authorities have been directed to ensure special treatment for those undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kallakuruchi, Salem, Villipuram and JIPMER-Puducherry.
The state government announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh for families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those undergoing treatment. “The one-member commission will conduct a thorough probe into what led to the incident and would also recommend steps to be taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” Stalin said. He added that the commission will submit its report within three months.
State ministers Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ma.Subramanian, E.Ve. Velu visited those undergoing treatment on Thursday.
Located behind the combined court complex of the Kallakurichi district, Karunapuram Colony, the epicentre of the hooch tragedy is in the grip of grief. There is a funeral happening in almost every house in the colony. Most families have lost their sole breadwinners, and the elders and the children are staring at a gloomy future.
“Both my parents have died. On Tuesday they fought with each other. My father consumed liquor from a packet and left the remaining in a glass. My mother also consumed it thinking it to be omam water. Both began complaining of vomiting and vision loss. We rushed them to the hospital. But they died,” says 16-year-old Kokila Suresh. Her father Suresh (37), a painter and mother S. Vadivu (34) died on Wednesday in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. Kokila and her two brothers are a few among the many orphaned children in Kallakurichi.
Not far away from Kokila’s house, an old woman is seen hugging two young boys and lamenting. “What will I do now to save these two boys?” she cries. Muniamma (name changed) is inconsolable as her son Praveen Kumar, a daily wage labourer, succumbed to hooch. “His wife had left us four years ago. He is the sole breadwinner of the family. Who will now take care of these two boys,” she shouts. A few metres away from her house, Poongudi, who works as a midwife in one of the government hospitals nearby, laments looking at her husband’s mortal remains. "I have been asking him to give up drinking. But he got used to this hooch and became an addict. Now my children and I are orphaned," she said.
Most of them who consumed the spurious liquor were daily wage labourers who had brought it from a local liquor seller Govindraj. Govindraj has been arrested. Around 200 litres of liquor was recovered from him. On analysis, the lab reports suggest that methanol was added to the liquor which led to the tragedy. The police have so far arrested 10 people in connection with the case.
Almost every house in Karunapuram Colony is in deep sorrow. Funeral processions from the village to the Gomukhi River and mass cremation and burial of the victims have shaken the state. The lives of 14 more are said to be in critical condition.
The families of the victims allege that the government did not take action to control the availability of illicit liquor in the region despite information. Incidentally, Kallakurichi and neighbouring districts in north Tamil Nadu are notorious for spurious liquor as there is a huge demand for cheap liquor and arrack in this region. The incident comes just a year after 22 people died during the twin hooch tragedies at Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts in north Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, the opposition AIADMK had filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe. The court is all set to hear the petition on Friday.
-with inputs from Lakshmi Subramanian
