Daijiworld Media Network - Jaipur
Jaipur, Apr 30: A tragic incident in Rajasthan's Alwar district has resulted in the deaths of at least eight people over the past three days after they consumed illicit and toxic liquor.
The first fatality was reported on April 26th, with seven more deaths occurring in the subsequent two days.
All the victims, aged between 39 and 65 years, were residents of Paintpur and Kishanpur villages.
Villagers allege that the sale of illicit liquor has been rampant in the region for an extended period, particularly within the jurisdiction of the Akbarpur police station. They claim that despite numerous complaints lodged with the authorities, no action was taken to curb this illegal activity.
The situation took a grim turn on April 28th, when five individuals succumbed in a single day. It was only after this surge in fatalities that district officials finally visited the affected villages. By that time, several other individuals who had consumed the same toxic brew had been hospitalized in critical condition.
Local residents report that contractors who have been officially allocated a single liquor shop each have illicitly established multiple outlets. Many of these unauthorized shops are allegedly selling raw, unlicensed liquor.
Residents further claim that enforcement officials are fully aware of these illegal operations but have deliberately ignored them.
In response to the mounting anger and grief, a Mahapanchayat (a large community gathering) has been scheduled for Thursday. Villagers are expected to demand stringent action against both the illicit liquor mafia and the allegedly negligent officials.
The sequence of deaths began on April 26th with Suresh Valmiki (45), a resident of Paintpur. On April 27th, Ramkishore (47) from Kishanpur and Ramukumar (39) from Paintpur also died. The highest number of fatalities occurred on April 28th, including Lalaram (60) and Bharat (40) from Kishanpur, and Omi (65), son of Bahal Nat, from Paintpur.
Local residents have strongly criticized the administration for its delayed response, pointing out that officials only arrived on Wednesday, three days after the first death was reported.
An investigation into the matter is currently underway, and the district administration has assured action. However, the tragedy has ignited widespread outrage among the locals, who are demanding accountability for the deaths.