Gujarat hooch tragedy: 6 cops suspended; Botad, Ahmedabad SPs transferred as death toll reaches 42

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Gujarat hooch tragedy: Six cops were suspended while the Superintendents of Police of Botad and Ahmedabad districts were transferred in an action initiated by the Gujarat Home Department on Thursday. The development comes in the wake of deaths caused due to the consumption of spurious liquor. 

As many as 42 people have so far died in the tragedy. 

The deceased were from Botad and neighbouring Ahmedabad district.

Commenting on the action initiated, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Raj Kumar said, "We have transferred Botad SP Karanraj Vaghela and Ahmedabad SP Virendrasingh Yadav. Six police officials, including two Deputy SPs, a circle police inspector, a police inspector and two sub-inspectors, have been put under suspension."

At least 97 people were still admitted to hospitals in Bhavnagar, Botad and Ahmedabad, he had said.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh on Gujarat hooch tragedy

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on Wednesday said the party will continue to raise the "fundamental issues" of the masses, including spurious liquor sale in Gujarat, both in Parliament and on the streets. 

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday adopted a motion to suspend the AAP member for the remaining part of the week for his "unruly behaviour" in the House.

This came a day after he tore some papers and threw them on the Chair during the Opposition's protest in the Upper House.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, both of whom are from Gujarat, could have come and told the House "how spurious liquor trade is going on in Gujarat."

"I had raised the issue yesterday also. Today, I gave notice under Rule 267 and was repeatedly requesting the Chair and the government for an answer... But the government did not give any answer. I was suspended," Singh added.

(With inputs from PTI)

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