Hooch tragedy at Sangrampur in Dec 2011: 4 persons marked, quantum today

Kolkata: The Alipore Court on Thursday held four persons including prime accused Khora Badsha, alias Noor Islam Fakir, responsible for the hooch tragedy at Sangrampur in December 2011.

The court acquitted six other accused persons, including Badsha's wife Shakila Bibi in the case. Sixth Additional District Judge (ADJ) of Alipore Civil and Criminal court, Parthasarathi Chakraborty, will pronounce the quantum of punishment in the case on Friday. Apart from Badsha, the other persons who were held responsible include — Dukhe Laskar, Najrul Lashkar and Khoirul Laskar. Those six persons were acquitted due to lack of evidence.

It may be mentioned that at least 172 people had died after consuming toxic hooch in areas of South 24-Parganas that includes Usthi, Mograhat, Sangrampur and its adjacent areas under Diamond Harbour Mahakuma in 2011.

Several others had fallen sick. Two separate FIRs were lodged at Usthi and Mograhat police stations, and later state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the probe.

The Usthi police station case, the verdict of which was declared on Thursday, had registered case in which 46 persons were declared dead and 12 were among the accused.

During the course of investigation, the CID had arrested 10 people, including Khora Badhsha and his wife. Two of the accused are still absconding. The chargesheet in the case was filed in February 2012. The case filed at Mograhat police station is still at trial stage.

It may be mentioned that post-mortem conducted on the dead indicated that the cause of death was due to respiratory and cardiac failure. The victims, as per doctors, died of cardio-respiratory failure due to methyl poisoning.

The incident had triggered outrage among the locals in the area who destroyed a number of hooch manufacturing units and even set fire to a number of such dens. The state government had provided a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh each to the families of those who died.