12 dead after consuming suspected spurious liquor in MP

Morena/Bhopal: At least 12 people have died and seven others have fallen seriously ill after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, the second such incident in the state within the last three months.

As per preliminary reports, some residents of Manpur and Pahawali villages in Morena district consumed a white coloured liquor on Monday night, a senior police officer said.

This was the second such incident in Madhya Pradesh in the last three months. In October last year, 14 people died after drinking spurious liquor in Ujjain.

"12 persons died and seven others seriously fell ill after drinking suspected spurious liquor (in Morena district)," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rajesh Hingankar told reporters.

He said a case has been registered under Section 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 34 and 91 of the Excise Act.

Few persons were also rounded up for investigation in the case, the DIG said.

The senior police officer from Morena said ten people from Manpur and Pahawali villages died on Monday night after consuming suspected spurious liquor, and another person died later.

He said those who fell seriously ill were admitted in Gwalior for treatment.

The post-mortem report is awaited to know whether the liquor was poisonous or not, he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has termed the incident "tragic" and ordered the suspension of Morena district excise officer for negligence.

He said "drastic" action will be taken against the guilty.