4 die after consuming suspected spurious liquor

Agra (UP): Four people have died in two villages of Uttar Pradesh's Agra district allegedly after consuming suspected spurious liquor, claimed a village head and family members of the victims on Tuesday.

Police said the incident took place on Monday night in Kaulara Kalan and Barkula villages in Agra where they have sealed four liquor shops.

The police, however, have not yet confirmed that deaths occurred due to the consumption of spurious liquor.

"The actual cause of the death is not known yet and that will be known only after postmortem," Agra Superintendent of Police (Rural East) Ashok Venkat told PTI.

The SP identified the suspected hooch tragedy victims as Radhe (42), Anil (34) and Ramveer (40) of Kaulara Kala village and Gaya Prasad (50) of Barkula village.

Anil's father Shri Niwas (65) alleged that his son and two other people of his village died of consuming spurious liquor only that they had bought from the village shop.

My son was a habitual drinker and he sat to drink along with Radhe and Ramveer on Sunday night despite my repeated pleas to them not to drink it, he said.

Anil was taken ill on Monday and I took him to a local doctor and then to a hospital in Agra where he died, said Shri Niwas.

He added that Anil worked as a labourer and had taken to drinking liquor after abandoning his wife and four children.

Kaulara Kalan resident Sudip too confirmed that Anil along with Radhe and Ramveer had consumed spurious liquor on Sunday and they were taken ill on Monday. Ramveer had also complained of losing his eyesight, he said.

Anil's father Shri Niwas further alleged that his village and its surrounding areas have become a hub of the illicit liquor trade.