Union Minister Anurag Thakur criticises Punjab CM for inaction after illicit liquor deaths

Anurag Thakur. File Pic

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday launched a scathing attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the deaths of 21 people due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab's Sangrur district. He added that the Punjab Chief Minister reached Delhi to save Arvind Kejriwal but 21 people died in his village due to illicit liquor.

"21 people died in a state due to illicit liquor and their CM (Bhagwant Mann) is sleeping in Delhi. He has not even spoken 2 words or taken any action against alcoholism... Punjab CM reached Delhi to save Arvind Kejriwal but 21 people died in his village due to illicit liquor... He is in Delhi to protect the liquor scam Kingpin. He (Arvind Kejriwal) is so arrogant that he wants to run the government from jail," the Union Minister said.

The death toll due to the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Punjab's Sangrur district has climbed to 21, officials said on Saturday. Punjab Police on Saturday constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Sangrur spurious liquor case. The four-member SIT is headed by ADGP Law and Order Gurinder Singh Dhillon, while, DIG Patiala Range Harcharan Singh Bhullar, SSP Sangrur Sartaj Chahal and Additional Commissioner (Excise) Naresh Dubey are its members.

Notably, the Sangrur district police have already arrested eight accused persons involved in selling spurious liquor in the area of Police Station Dirba and recovered huge amounts of spurious liquor and other equipment used for manufacturing and labelling spurious liquor from their possession.

Those arrested have been identified as Soma Kaur, Rahul alias Sanju and Pardeep Singh alias Babi, all residents of Chauwas in Cheema; Gurlal Singh of village Ubhawal in Sangrur, Harmanpreet Singh of village Taipur in Patiala, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh of village Rogla; and Manpreet Singh alias Mani and Sukhwinder Singh alias Sukhi, both residents of village Gujjran in Dirba.

"Around 23 people have consumed (spurious liquor) and are admitted to various hospitals. Three FIRs have been lodged in the case... The complainants in these FIRs are those who have lost a family member. Till now, 8 accused have been arrested... The total number of identified accused is 10 and 8 of them have been arrested," said Punjab ADGLO Gurinder Singh Dhillon. Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India sought an immediate report from the Punjab Chief Secretary and DGP in the Sangrur hooch tragedy through the Punjab CEO.

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