Police hunt for hooch tragedy culprits

The police have launched investigations into the illicit liquor tragedy and arrested a total of four persons, who were engaged in the illegal manufacture and sale of adulterated liquor.

Even as the death toll in the liquor tragedy crossed 100 yesterday, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore East, B K Singh told reporters that two more persons were nabbed on Tuesday morning, taking the total arrests to four.

Singh told reporters that the main accused had been identified as Sounder Rajan, 38, who had been in the business of illicit liquor trade in Devarajeevana Halli in Bangalore since the last few years.

Though Rajan had escaped from his house, Singh said the police had succeeded in tracing his whereabouts would soon nab him.

Police said Rajan was carrying most of his sale of the illegally brewed liquor from his house in Devarjeevana Hall police station limits. Labourers looking for the cheap liquor after a day’s hard work would invariably knock on Rajan’s doors, police said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each to the families of people, who had died after drinking illicit liquor in Bangalore its adjoining districts.

Thakur convened a high level meeting in Bangalore on Tuesday and reviewed the situation arising out of the death of more than 100 people, who had consumed the lethal brew in Bangalore and surrounding areas of Hoskote and Anekal, besides Kolar.

A steady of stream of patients, who had taken ill after consuming the illegally brewed liquor, arrived at various hospitals in Bangalore yesterday.

Doctors at Bowring Hospital said they had admitted ten more victims since Tuesday morning. But, the authorities had to send many more patients, who were brought to the hospital in a serious condition, to send them to other private hospitals due to lack of sufficient beds.