Toll mounts to 97 in Mumbai hooch tragedy

The toll in the Mumbai hooch tragedy – the worst such in 11 years in Maharashtra – shot up to 97 on Sunday, police said. Police said 97 have succumbed so far and 45 more are undergoing treatment at various hospitals for the past four days.

"The death toll has risen to <g data-gr-id="39">97,</g> while 45 are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals of the city," said Dhananjay Kulkarni, DCP, Mumbai.

The incident took place in the Laxmi Nagar slum area in Malwani, Malad, on Wednesday night.

Police have already arrested five accused in the case, but the prime accused, <g data-gr-id="38">Mainka</g> Bai, is still at large. Eight personnel attached to the Malwani police station have been suspended after the incident.

The excise department had earlier suspended four of its officials in connection with the incident for incompetence and dereliction of duty, state excise department commissioner Shyamsundar Shinde had said on Saturday.

The Mumbai Police have launched a search for others who might have consumed spurious liquor that day.

"We are checking every home in the vicinity and asking them if they had consumed liquor that day. We found eight such persons and have admitted them to a nearby hospital," a police official had said earlier.

In the last one year, the excise department had registered 117 cases of distribution of hooch in Malwani.

On Saturday, the Antop Hill police had conducted a raid at an illegal shop in the Sion-Koliwada area and seized 40 <g data-gr-id="44">litres</g> of illicit liquor. "We had information of illicit liquor being sold in the area. So, we raided the shop and seized the liquor," said Ashok <g data-gr-id="41">Dudhe</g>, DCP (zone 4).

"Police commissioner Rakesh Maria has instructed all DCPs to launch a crack down on shops selling illicit liquor," he added.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dhananjay Munde, had visited Malad to take stock of the situation on <g data-gr-id="42">Saturday,</g> while Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam staged a demonstration outside the Malwani Police station.

Meanwhile, Vinod Tawde, Guardian Minister of the Mumbai suburban district,  has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy. The compensation will be provided from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's fund on Monday, he said.