12 die due to suspected hooch consumption in Bihar, probe on

Gopalganj (Bihar), Aug 17 (PTI) Twelve persons have diedafter suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Gopalganjdistrict of Bihar, where prohibition was implemented in April,even as authorities claimed that the reason behind the deathsis not clear and ordered a probe. "Twelve persons have died so far. The deaths have beenreported from different areas of five police stations of thedistrict in the past 24 hours. One person is admitted at aSadar hospital," Gopalganj District Magistrate Rahul Kumartold PTI. Asked whether the deaths were the result of consumption ofillicit liquor, he said some family members alleged that thepersons had consumed spurious liquor last evening after whichthey died while some other relatives of the deceased gave inwriting that they did not die because of spurious liquor. A single reason may not be the cause of the deathswith the deaths having been reported at different time fromdifferent locations under five police stations of Majha,Thawe, Yadavpur, Sidhwalia and kotwali here, Kumar said. A probe has been ordered into the deaths to find out ifconsumption of spurious liquor was the reason in some cases,he added. "The team would conduct probe from all angles," he said. Of the 12, the administration has taken possession ofthe bodies of five persons from their relatives for carryingout postmortem as the remaining seven bodies have alreadybeen cremated by the relatives, Kumar said. "As of now, we cannot say the exact reason behind theincident. We can tell you only after getting the medical (postmortem) report, statements of relatives of the deceased andraids," the District Magistrate said. PTI AR SNS MM ASV RTASV