Patna: The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy in Bihar's Chhapra district has risen to 12. Five more people lost their lives on Friday. Taking major action in the incident, the administration has suspended the SHO and watchman of the Maker police station. At the same time, the police have arrested 94 persons for violating the prohibition law and consuming illicit liquor. Talking to reporters, Chhapra Collector Rajesh Meena and  SP Santosh Kumar said that 12 persons died in the Maker police station area due to the consumption of spurious liquor on the occasion of Nag Panchami on Tuesday, after which several persons died.

Chhapra Collector Rajesh Meena said that the SHO and the watchman have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty. If the watchman was alerted, such an incident would not have taken place. The incident took place in Nonia Tola village of the district under the jurisdiction of these policemen. More than 15 persons have also lost their eyesight in the incident of spurious liquor and 35 persons are still undergoing treatment at hospitals in Chhapra and Patna.  

On the other hand, Ramanand Manjhi, the main culprit in the illegal liquor case, is on the run since the incident. Police had raided about 200 metres outside Nonia Tola village, where Manjhi was running a unit to manufacture and sell spurious liquor. During the raid, 1450 litres of liquor along with spirits and other materials used to make adulterated liquor was recovered from the village. Bihar government minister Ashok Choudhary said that all the culprits will be arrested and action will be taken against them as per law. He said action will also be taken against the policemen whose laxity or connivance may have led to the incident. It is worth noting that more than 50 people have died in Bihar due to the consumption of spurious liquor since November last year.  

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