Surat suspected hooch tragedy:two more including 14 year old boy dies, toll rises to 21

Surat:The toll in the suspected hooch tragedy of Surat has further risen to 21 with two more deaths including that of a 14 year old boy taking place late last night.

Police today said that one Subhas Padvi (30), a resident of Kakodara area who was admitted in a private hospital after consumption of alleged spurious liquor died late last night while 14 year old Deval Yadav died in Civil hospital here.

Still at least two affected persons are admitted in the civil hospital.

Meanwhile the state government, which yesterday directed ATS SP to investigate the entire incident deeply and also instructed all the district police chiefs and higher officials to ensure 100% prohibition on liquor across the state today apparently punished IGP Surat range Narsimha Komar and SP (rural) Mayur Chavda for their alleged lackadaisical attitude by transferring them elsewhere. Additional Director of Anti Corruption Bureau Ahmedabad Mr Shamsher Singh has been made the new Surat IGP while SP (rural) Ahmedabad, Mr Nirlipt Rai has replaced Mr Chavda.

Earlier three policemen including the PI of Kadodara GIDC H K Bharvad and one ASI and one head constable were suspended in this connection.

Even as the ATS SP will now probe the matter the state government constituted three member inquiry committee under ADGP (Law and Order) V M Pargi will also submit its report to the home ministry.

Meanwhile in the wake of the incident in and around Vareli village of Palsana taluka, the health department deputed 65 teams have conducted precautionary survey in around 9000 houses so far. The operation has been conducted to see whether the deaths were caused by spurious liquor alone or was there any new kind of virus behind the series of deaths taking place over a period of more than a week. The samples of blood of some of the victims have also been sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune for such check up and the results are still awaited.

DeshGujarat