About 216 patients were admitted to various government medical facilities after they consumed the spurious liquor on Tuesday night, Kallakurichi district collector MS Prasanth said.
Published Jun 23, 2024 | 1:19 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 23, 2024 | 1:19 PM
(Representational image)
Death toll in the Hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi rose to 56, the District Administration said in a report released on Sunday, 23 June. The administration on Saturday had said the condition of 140 people was currently stable.
About 216 patients were admitted to various government medical facilities after they consumed the spurious liquor on Tuesday night, Kallakurichi district collector MS Prasanth said.
“Seven people have been arrested in connection with the spurious liquor tragedy,” he told reporters after visiting the victims at the Kallakurichi government hospital.
The Collector said that special teams have also been formed to prevent the sale of illicit arrack in the district and they have been told to take up intense combing operations.
According to the government, more than 20 people, who complained of vomiting and stomach pain were admitted to the Kallakurichi Medical College Hospital on Wednesday.
The government said they had arrested a 49-year-old man named K Kannukutti in connection with the incident. It added that an analysis of about 200 litres of illicit arrack seized from him revealed the presence of deadly methanol in the liquor.
The Tamil Nadu government also said in a statement that it had transferred Kallakurichi District Collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath and suspended Superintendent of Police Samay Singh Meena over the hooch tragedy.
Nine other police personnel — including some from the prohibition wing of the Kallakurichi district — have also been placed under suspension. Following a probe by police and revenue officials, it was suspected that they had consumed “packet arrack”.
The Madras High Court, had on Friday, 21 June, slammed the state government and directed it to file a detailed report on the steps taken to curb the sale of illicit arrack in the state.
The bench posted further hearing on the PIL filed by AIADMK to 26 June and said that the state cannot take the issue lightly as it affects people’s lives.
The PIL sought a direction to the state government to transfer to CBI, the investigation into the sale of illicit arrack by accused persons in Kallakurichi district.
Chief Minister Stalin also directed officials to notify a one-man commission to be led by retired Madras High Court Judge B Gokuldas to make recommendations to the government on measures to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and also look into the reasons for the Kallakurichi deaths.
Justice B Gokuldas commenced his inquiry into the incident on 21 June after paying a visit to victims’ families. He will submit a report in three months.
Stalin had announced ₹10 lakh assistance to each of the families of the people who died after consuming illicit arrack. Additionally, he also announced ₹50,000 assistance to those who are being treated in hospitals.
He issued various orders to the officials of the revenue department, police department, and medical department, to ensure continuous monitoring and treatment, especially for those who are being treated in hospitals.
The National Human Rights Commission had also issued a notice in this regard to the Tamil Nadu government in May. It had called for a detailed report on steps taken to curb the sale of spurious liquor. This was not the first time the state machinery had failed in preventing deaths due to spurious liquor, the bench added.
Actor Suriya, actor-cum politicians Kamal Hassan and Vijay expressed their condolences and shared their thoughts about the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Saturday taunted AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami as a ‘medical expert’ for making a claim that the state does not have stocks of an antidote to treat methanol consumption.
Subramanian said Palaniswami, the leader of opposition, is in a state of confusion over drugs, ‘Omeprazole’ and ‘Fomepizole.’
The former chief minister had on 20 June claimed that there was no stock of Omperazole and he had rebutted it, he said. The state has a stock of ‘4.42 crore (numbers that may include capsules/injections) Omeprazole.’
For treating people affected by illicit liquor, the protocol followed in central government- administered JIPMER and in state government medical college hospitals of Kallakurichi, Salem and Villupuram, is the same.
The Minister taunted Edappadi Palaniswami as a ‘medical expert’ and said if the AIADMK chief ‘comes up with any new treatment protocol, that will be followed’ if it could help prevent loss of lives.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with PTI inputs)
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