CM orders probe into major hooch tragedies in last 15 yrs

After a series of hooch tragedies, including the recent one in Aligarh which claimed several lives, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered reinvestigation of all major cases related to adulterated liquor deaths in the last 15 years to ensure that no offender is let off the hook.

He has already ordered that the National Security Act (NSA) be slapped on liquor mafia and their properties be auctioned to compensate the victims.

Around 50 people have died in the Aligarh hooch tragedy over the last one week after consuming spurious liquor purchased from a government shop. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the chief minister has directed all district magistrates and district police chiefs to reopen big cases of illicit liquor deaths registered in the state in the past 15 years and punish the mafia who got away due to connivance of police.

“On the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, all the district magistrates and district police chiefs of the state have been instructed to re-examine all the big cases of illicit liquor deaths registered in the state in the last 15 years,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Excise) Sanjay R Bhoosreddy.

He explained that all the cases related to illicit liquor in the last 15 years will be reinvestigated by the district magistrate and district police chief concerned, senior excise officials and district government counsel (criminal).
Moreover, 10 big cases in any district will be re-investigated by the divisional commissioner and DIG/IG Police concerned.

“The district magistrates and divisional commissioners will also review the action taken on the 15th of every month,” said Bhoosreddy, who will then further review the reports.
The additional chief secretary also said that the licences of liquor shops selling illicit booze would be revoked and they would be blacklisted in the entire state.

“Not just this, National Security Act (NSA) will be invoked against such people,” Bhoosreddy said, adding that these steps were being taken to break the back of the liquor mafia.

Meanwhile, the local authorities have already transferred over 500 police officials after the hooch tragedy in Aligarh. The key accused has also been arrested.