Aligarh hooch tragedy death toll rises to 25

Aligarh (UP): The death toll in the Aligarh hooch tragedy climbed to 25 on Sunday, officials here said.

BJP Lok Sabha MP from Aligarh Satish Gautam, however, said according to information gathered by him, the death toll has crossed 35.

Speaking to reporters, Gautam said his figures are based on inputs collected by him from different villages "where many victims have been cremated without conducting a post-mortem examination".

Asked why there was a difference between official figures and the information collected by him, the MP said, "I will be meeting the officials today (Sunday) and we will discuss this issue. There is no question of hiding anything. A person who has been a victim of this tragedy will ultimately find his name on the official death list."

According to district officials, the victims were limited to Aligarh's Lodha block on the first day but have now spread to at least four more blocks.

Meanwhile, Lodha police station in-charge Abhay Kumar Sharma has been suspended for dereliction of duty, according to an official announcement made on Saturday evening. The first death in the hooch tragedy was reported in this police station area.

The district authorities have been sending teams to villages to urge people not to consume any liquor bought a week ago.

On Sunday afternoon, a row broke out at a post-mortem house when some staff members allegedly tried to prevent media persons from taking pictures of bodies lined up there.

With the issue threatening to blow up, Gautam rushed to the spot and managed to calm down the frayed tempers of media persons. He said necessary action will be taken in this matter.

He reiterated that there will be no attempt to hide casualties in the hooch tragedy.

District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh said a magisterial probe will reveal the exact death toll. According to reports, some victims had consumed the killer brew even a day after the first deaths were reported on Friday.