TN hooch tragedy: Methanol sold in 2 dists sourced from same person

CHENNAI: Three more persons died in Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday in connection with the spurious liquor tragedy, raising the death toll to 20.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police investigations have revealed that Methanol, an industrial spirit was supplied to victims in two districts and they were procured from the same person in Puducherry, identified as Ezhumalai.

Methanol is mainly used for industrial purposes and the accused had allegedly stolen the industrial spirit to brew the liquor, which was sold in Ekkiyar Kuppam and Perunkaranai Villages, police said.

Since Marakkanam and Maduranthakam are only 50 kms apart, Tamil Nadu Police have been probing if there was any connection between the deaths in the two incidents and lab results have confirmed that the same spirit was sold to victims in both districts.

On Tuesday, Shankar (48) and Thambu (60) of Perunkaranai village died at Chengalpattu Government Hospital on Tuesday evening, raising the death toll in the district to seven.

Still, four people including a woman are in the ICU in the Chengalpattu GH and they too are in a critical condition, police said.

In Villupuram, K Rajavelu (38) died at the Mundiyambakkam government hospital, raising the death toll in Marakkanam incident to 13.

More than 30 persons are still under treatment at hospitals in Villupuram and Puducherry. Most of the victims in Villupuram district hail from Ekkiyar Kuppam fishing hamlet near Marakkanam, who had consumed the hooch on Saturday evening. Within few hours, several of them had complained of uneasy feeling and people started dying since Saturday night, police said.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Police claimed that due to the effective measures taken to prevent the brewing of illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu, and also the enhanced vigil to curtail the movement of the illicit liquor, resulted in its non-availability in the State.

Investigations are on to find out from which industrial unit this methanol was stolen and the nexus between those involved in this nefarious activity, the release added.

During 2022 alone, 1,40,649 prohibition cases were registered, and 1,39,697 people were arrested. About 37,217 litres of spirit and 2,957 vehicles were seized. This year, so far 55,474 cases were registered and 55,173 persons were arrested. Around, 2,55,078 litres of spirit were seized. Including 69 four-wheelers used in transporting illicit liquor 1,077 motor vehicles were confiscated and steps are on to detain 79 persons under the Goondas Act, a release from the office of DGP C Sylendra Babu stated.