NHRC had earlier issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and police chief and sought a report in a week.
Published Jun 26, 2024 | 8:37 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2024 | 8:37 PM
NCW visits Kallakurichi hooch tragedy victims (X)
Death toll in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that rocked Tamil Nadu rose to 63 on Wednesday, 26 June and over 70 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery.
Currently, about 88 persons are still undergoing treatment at government hospitals in Kallakuruchi and neighbouring districts. Apart from Kallakurichi Medical College Hospital, the victims of hooch tragedy are also admitted in Salem, Villupuram government hospitals and Puducherry JIPMER.
Meanwhile, Kishore Magwana, president of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes met the families of those who died in the hooch tragedy and paid respect to the deceased.
Tamil Nadu SC Commission Vice President Puneeth Pandian, National Aditya Vidyarthi Commission DIG Sanmeet Kaur were also present with him. The Commission is conducting investigation in person at Kallakurichi Hospital.
Additionally, on the same day, a National Commission for Women (NCW) team led by BJP leader Khushbu met police in Kallakurichi as it began its investigation into the hooch tragedy. NCW constituted a three-member probe committee, headed by Khushbu, to submit a report on the tragedy which has claimed the lives of over 60 people including six women.
Speaking to reporters, Khusbu said, “We have just started our investigation. We have collected some details from the police regarding the number of deaths, and also number of children who had lost their parents. Also, CB-CID has arrested 21 people so far and we are collecting the details of habitual offenders among them. We will also go to the hospital and collect the post-mortem reports.”
Apart from NCW, the NHRC had earlier issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and police chief in connection with the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi district and sought a report in a week.
In a statement, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that several people lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor in Kallakurichi. Reportedly, a large number of people including women are under treatment in hospitals and some of them are in critical condition. The content of the news report, if true, raises a serious issue of violation of the right to life of the victims, it said.
States have the exclusive power to regulate the production, manufacturing, possession, transportation, purchase and sale of liquor. Accordingly, notices have been issued to the chief secretary and the director general of police of Tamil Nadu, seeking a detailed report within one week, the statement said.
The report is expected to include the status of the FIR, the medical treatment of the victims who are hospitalised and the status of disbursement of the compensation to the aggrieved families by the state government, it said. The commission also sought details of action taken against “delinquent officers responsible for the tragedy”, the statement said.
The state government has ordered a probe into the incident.
(Edited by Neena with PTI inputs)
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