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Two die in Bengal after consuming hooch, 14 deaths in nine days

Two men died after consuming hooch in a remote village in Bengal’s Darjeeling district on Wednesday night.

Babul Karmakar, 41, and an unidentified person were found dead inside Karmakar’s home at Dangapara village in the Phasidewa police station area on Thursday morning.

The incident took place nine days after a similar incident at Shantipur in Nadia district where 12 people, including a woman, died after consuming hooch. Though the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested four people, the Trinamool government came under criticism from opposition parties for giving compensation of Rs 2 lakh to every affected family.

On Thursday evening, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said the two deaths were proof of the government’s incompetence.

Bhagya Karmakar, son of Babul Karmakar, said, “My father and another man returned home in a drunken state late on Wednesday night. My father slept in his room while the stranger slept in the verandah.”

“Before falling asleep my father complained of pain in his stomach and went outside for a while,” said Bhagya Karmakar whose mother and elder brother live elsewhere.

On finding both dead, Bhagya Karmakar woke up the neighbours on Thursday morning. The police were informed.

Pranab Kumar Mazumdar, block development officer of Phasidewa said, “It appears the men died from the effects of spurious liquor.”

Agitated people ransacked a few hooch dens near Madhujot village on Thursday. Though local people alleged that there were many such dens in the area, the BDO said, “The problem is not as rampant as being alleged. We are taking action against those found involved in hooch production.”

First Published: Dec 06, 2018 18:59 IST

Source: HindustanTimes