In the last three days, 44 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, after consuming adulterated liquor. While, 36 and 8 deaths in Western Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district and in Eastern UP's Kushinagar district respectively. Nearly two dozen people still in hospital, doctors say the number of deaths could rise, official said.
In Saharanpur, the UP police claim the liquor was first consumed in neighbouring Uttarakhand where villagers from Saharanpur has gone to attend a funeral and was then also smuggled back to the Saharanpur district by a villager who then sold it to others.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed the state police to start the crackdown on illicit liquor manufacture and sale. Following, raids have been conducted in various parts of the state including Banda where a large quantity of illicit liquor was seized.
Uttar Pradesh government has already suspended the District Excise Officer and District Excise Inspector of Kushinagar, among many others. The UP police says over 30 people have been arrested for the tragedy so far and stringer sections of the law including the Gangster Act and the National Security Act will be applied against them.
Since 2011, over 175 people have died in eight adulterated tragedies across UP. Four of those incidents have happened during Yogi Adityanath's tenure as UP chief minister.