Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Police have arrested a “quack” — the husband of a candidate contesting the upcoming gram panchayat polls — for allegedly concocting and distributing homemade liquor that has claimed 10 lives in Haridwar district so far.
The matter came to light Saturday after a number of villagers approached the local hospital, complaining of vomiting and upset stomachs. It was later discovered that those admitted to the hospital had consumed spurious liquor the night before.
Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar told ThePrint that the 10 men who died in the villages of Shivgarh and Phoolgarh had consumed spurious liquor tied to the accused, Bijendra Bhan, who was allegedly trying to entice them to vote for his wife Babita, in the Pathri panchayat polls, due to be held on 26 September.
“Post-mortem reports confirmed that all seven deceased villagers had consumed liquor provided by him to woo voters for his wife’s election,” he said.
The accused, using his knowledge of chemicals, had been brewing illicit liquor at his field in Phoolgarh village for the past four-five months and had planned to use it to entice people to vote for his wife, claimed the police.
A preliminary investigation also revealed that he had buried two cans of homemade liquor in his field, they added.
He retrieved one of those cans — weighing 20 litres — after the dates for the panchayat polls were announced on 2 September, police said. The second can, weighing 35 litres, was recovered by the police Saturday.
Bijendra was arrested Saturday night and has been booked Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with Section 62 of the state excise Act, DGP Kumar said, adding that the wife and her brother were at large and would be “rounded up soon”.
जहरीली शराब हत्याकांड का एक आरोपी गिरफ्तार, अन्य की तलाश में लगातार दबिश का दौर जारी
♦️DIG/SSP महोदय ने PC के दौरान दी जानकारी @uttarakhandcops #UKPoliceStrikeOnCrime pic.twitter.com/4nN3bbRv9t
— Haridwar Police Uttarakhand (@haridwarpolice) September 11, 2022
Haridwar (Rural) Superintendent of Police (SP) Parmendra Singh Dobhal told ThePrint that Bijendra had admitted his guilt.
“The accused quack started distributing liquor to the villagers right after the Haridwar rural body elections were announced on 2 September. Demand for liquor increased as the nomination date, 6 September, came closer. The number of villagers who consumed the liquor was much higher, but the deceased persons took it in excess quantities,” Dobhal said.
However, Garhwal Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) K.S. Nagnyal said that while it had been confirmed that the victims consumed spurious liquor, the cause of death would be established once the viscera report is received.
He added that “four personnel including SHO of Pathri police station and three constables have been suspended”.
Apart from the four policemen, nine district excise employees have also been suspended by the Haridwar district magistrate in connection with the deaths.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)