Death toll in TV illicit liquor case reaches 47; three accused sent to 15-day judicial custody

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Director of Medical Education Sangumani on Friday said that 47 people have lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor in Kallakurichi district of the state.

Meanwhile, the second day of the Tamil Nadu Assembly session began in Chennai on Friday with a ruckus as AIADMK legislators, sporting black clothes, raised slogans inside the House over the hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi. Speaker Appavu ordered the watch and ward staff, which performs security duties inside the Assembly, to evict AIADMK MLAs from the Assembly hall.

Visuals from outside the Assembly showed watch and ward staff escorting AIADMK members outside. There were heavy police personnel outside the Assembly. Chaos erupted both inside and outside the Tamil Nadu Assembly in Chennai, as AIADMK members raised slogans demanding discussion on Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy in which at least 47 persons have lost their lives.

Our detailed press briefing after meeting the families of the victims of the illicit liquor tragedy in Kallakurichi yesterday.

Tomorrow (22.06.2024), Brothers & Sisters of @BJP4TamilNadu will protest across TN against the DMK govt, condemning their gross inefficiency that has… pic.twitter.com/NZwB6f30Ia

— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) June 21, 2024

The state Assembly session yesterday ended by paying respects to those who died from consuming spurious liquor in Kallakurichi. The legislators also paid tribute to 17 former legislators and the sitting DMK MLA Pugazhenthi, who had passed away. They also paid tribute to victims of the Kuwait blaze, which included seven people from Tamil Nadu. State Assembly Speaker Appavu read the obituary note after which the members stood in silence to pay the tribute. The Assembly session is scheduled to continue till June 29.

Earlier today, three accused in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor case were sent to 15 days of judicial custody and taken to Cudallore Central prison. Kallakurichi police produced the accused before district combined court. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Govindaraj, Damadoran and Vijaya. The accused have been taken to Cuddalore Central Prison from Kallakurichi Combined District Court.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president Annamalai wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a CBI enquiry into the deaths caused by illicit liquor in Kallakurichi. Annamalai on Thursday accused the ruling DMK government of involvement in the Kallakurichi illicit liquor death incident, alleging collusion between DMK members and local liquor sellers.

“We want to inform your good office that a similar incident that occurred in May 2023 in Marakkanam of Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district and Chengalpattu district claimed 23 precious lives. In the past two years, Tamil Nadu has lost over 60 lives to hooch because of the ineffective governance of the DMK government,” he had said in a letter to the Union Home Minister.

He mentioned that as per his reliable sources, the production and sale of illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu is happening at the behest of party functionaries and cadres belonging to the DMK, where points of sale of such liquor are located near judicial courts, police stations, and other government offices.

The families of the deceased in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy claim that the sale of illicit liquor happened in the prime areas of the town.

“It is evident that the sale of illicit liquor is done in full public view with the knowledge of the local police, who operate under the direction of local political leaders belonging to the DMK. Considering the dire state of governance in Tamil Nadu under the DMK rule, on behalf of BJP Tamil Nadu, we kindly request your good office to order a CBI enquiry on this matter as we firmly believe that the DMK Government will curtail the State Police’s from bringing all the persons responsible for the deaths before the court of law”, he said in the letter.

The Tamil Nadu government had ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragedy. The inquiry will be led by retired Madras high court judge Justice B Gokuldas. Justice Gokuldas will submit a report within three months. Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each of deceased victims, with those under treatment to receive Rs 50,000 each.

Victims are undergoing treatment at the Kallakurichi Government Medical College and Hospital and in Hospitals in Salem, Villupuram, and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) in Puducherry. (ANI)