Tamil Nadu Hooch Tragedy Claims 48 Lives, High Court Criticizes Government

The toll from the hooch tragedy in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi has risen to 48, state Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday. The dead included 3 women and a transgender.

Of the deceased, 25 died at the Kallakurichi government hospital, 3 at JIPMER in Puducherry, 16 at Salem Government Medical College Hospital, and 4 at Villupuram government medical college hospital, he told reporters in Puducherry after visiting those undergoing treatment at various government medical facilities.

AIADMK chief and state Leader of Opposition, Edappadi K Palaniswami had earlier in the day claimed 50 people had died after consuming illicit arrack in Kallakurichi, a northern district in the state.

Minister Subramanian said that 168 persons including 9 women and a transgender were admitted to various hospitals.

A medical team under the Deputy Director of Health has been constituted to take up a door survey to ascertain the exact number of persons affected due to the illicit arrack consumption, the Minister told reporters in Puducherry.

Earlier, Subramanian interacted with the senior health officials on the treatment being provided to the affected.

Meanwhile, slamming the Tamil Nadu government for the hooch tragedy, the Madras High Court directed it to file a detailed report on the steps taken to curb the sale of illicit arrack in the state.

A division bench comprising Justices D Krishnakumar and K Kumaresh Babu gave the directive while posting to June 26, further hearing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by AIADMK legal wing secretary I S Inbadurai. The PIL sought a direction to the state government to transfer to CBI, the investigation into the crime/offence, sale of illicit arrack by accused persons in Kallakurichi district.

The report should also contain as to the action taken into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, besides, that pursuant to a similar incident in Villupuram's Marakanam last year, the bench added.

When the case came up for hearing, the bench orally observed this case was about the lives of the people and therefore the court wants to know as to what action was taken by the police to curb sale of illicit arrack and how many cases were filed in the state in the last one year.

The bench also said it had read a news report regarding illicit arrack being sold in Kallakurichi even before this tragedy.

Even some Youtubers had spoken about it. 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.

Advocate general P S Raman said the government has taken earnest steps to treat those in hospitals. It was taking steps to curb the sale of illicit arrack. The district collector has been transferred, he added.