Punjab Hooch tragedy: Kejriwal demands CBI probe in sale of illicit liquor that killed 86

Expressing grief over the Punjab hooch tragedy where at least 86 people allegedly died due to consumption of illicit liquor, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that such cases should be handed over to the CBI for a crackdown on the perpetrators.  Kejriwal noted that over the last few months, none of the cases involving the sale of spurious liquor has been solved by the local police. The Punjab government needs to take immediate steps to curb such mafias, he tweeted on Sunday.

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Punjab CM orders magisterial probe

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial inquiry by the Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, into the deaths of people allegedly due to the consumption of illicit liquor. Police arrested Balwinder Kaur, a resident of Muchhal village, under Section 304 of the IPC (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and under provisions of the Excise Act, the DGP said on Friday.

“Two more people were arrested on Saturday morning in connection with the incident. Raids are still going on,” Inspector General of Police S P S Parmar said. Five persons have been detained in Tarn Taran for questioning in this connection, the officer said.

READ | Death Toll In Punjab Spurious Liquor Rises To 62

The CM has promised strict action against anyone found complicit in the case and directed police to launch a search operation to crack down on any spurious liquor manufacturing unit operating in the state.

Most of the deceased are from Tarn Taran, which accounts for 63 deaths, followed by Amritsar Rural at 12 and Gurdaspur (Batala) at 11. As the death toll in the hooch tragedy rose to 86, Punjab Police arrested 17 more people in a "massive crackdown" spanning more than 100 raids.

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