Tamil Nadu Director of Medical Education J Sangumani on Friday said the death count in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy surged to 47. Several people fell ill after consumption of 'methanol mixed arrack on Wednesday.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday directed officials to notify a one-man commission to be led by retired Madras High Court Judge B Gokuldas to make recommendations to the government on measures to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and also look into the reasons for the Kallakurichi deaths.
The chief minister said four persons linked to the sale of poisonous arrack have been arrested so far and announced Rs 10 lakh assistance to each of the families of 34 people who died after consuming illicit arrack.
Also, he announced Rs 50,000 assistance to those who are being treated in hospitals.
Also, the CM said the state Home Secretary and Director General of Police will submit a report on the hooch tragedy following inspection.
BJP seeks CBI probe into hooch tragedy
Alleging that the production and sale of illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu took place at the "behest" of ruling DMK functionaries, the state unit of the BJP on Thursday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to order a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and render justice to the victims.
Apprising Shah of the latest development in the state, BJP chief K Annamalai said spurious liquor claimed several "invaluable" lives at Karunapuram in Kallakurichi district and over 90 people were being treated in various government hospitals.
"It is feared that the death toll may increase further," Annamalai said in a letter addressed to the Home Minister.
A similar incident occurred in May 2023 in Marakkanam (Villupuram district) and Chengalpattu district where 23 lives were lost.
"Tamil Nadu lost over 60 lives to hooch in the last two years due to the ineffective governance of the DMK," he stated in the letter.
"Families of the deceased in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy claim that the sale of illicit liquor happened in prime areas of the town...it is evident that the sale was done in full public view with the knowledge of local police, who operate under the direction of local political leaders belonging to the DMK," he claimed.
(With agencies inputs)
