Dehradun: Six people died and several others took ill on Friday allegedly after consuming illicit liquor in a slum area near Patharia Peer Chawk on Nashville road in Dehradun. According to reports, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed grief at the loss of lives in the incident and ordered a magisterial probe into it, saying the guilty must be given stern punishment. According to the senior police officials, the matter is being investigated and until the final report arrives it is difficult to say what led to the deaths. "We are waiting for the post-mortem report. The cause of the deaths will become clear only after that," Superintendent of Police (City) Shweta Chaubey said. The incident took place a few months after the Roorkee hooch tragedy in the district. 

The incident

On Friday, several people suffered and six persons died after the consumption of illicit liquor. According to news reports, the deceased have been identified as Rajendra, 45, Guddu alias Lalla, 33, Saran, 55, Akash, 23, Surendra, 32, and Inder, 50. Chief Minister Trivenda Rawat has asked the chief secretary, the DGP and the excise commissioner to ensure that those responsible for the deaths are brought to book. Rawat has also directed the chief medical officer to ensure proper treatment of people who took ill after the incident. Reports stated that a preliminary FIR has been filed into the matter. The excise department has also banned the sale of country-made liquor in the nearby areas.

According to reports, several slum dwellers attacked a local resident’s house on Friday evening. They claimed that the local resident sold the illicit liquor to the people in the area. The family of the local resident had to be rescued by the police, stated the reports. 

Read: Dehradun: Six die after allegedly consuming poisonous liquor

Read: Dehradun hosted first ever helicoper summit to encourage investment

Roorkee Hooch tragedy

Around seven months ago, around 40 people died in the Roorkee hooch tragedy after consuming illicit liquor. The incident was marked as one of the biggest tragedies in the state, after which the Uttarakhand government reprimanded the sale of illicit liquor. According to reports, two persons have been arrested in connection with the hooch tragedy in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh. 

Read: Bullock cart owner fined ₹1000 under Section 81 of the new MV Act

Read: Nestaway enters the co-living space ecosystem, to invest $10 million

With PTI inputs