Toll rises to 38 in Tamil Nadu hooch tragedy, CM forms panel for inquiry

Funeral preparations in Kallakurichi. PTI

Three people have been arrested in connection with the tragedy. Officials said that according to a preliminary probe, the presence of methanol was found in the samples of arrack seized during the probe. Chief Minister M K Stalin constituted a commission headed by former High Court judge Justice B Gokuldas to conduct a thorough inquiry. He also announced that ` 10 lakh ex gratia would given to the families of each of the deceased, and ` 50,000 to those undergoing treatment.The 38 people who died included four women and one trans person, sources said. A total of 143 people were admitted to hospitals, and 105 of them are still undergoing treatment. Actor-politician Vijay condemned the recurrence of such incidents. “The recurrence of a hooch tragedy, even as we have not yet recovered from the loss of several lives last year, exposes the government’s indifference,” he said.

கள்ளக்குறிச்சியில் கள்ளச்சாராயம் அருந்தியவர்கள் உயிரிழந்த செய்திகேட்டு அதிர்ச்சியும் வேதனையும் அடைந்தேன். இந்த விவகாரத்தில் குற்றத்தில் ஈடுபட்டவர்கள் கைது செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார்கள். தடுக்கத் தவறிய அதிகாரிகள் மீதும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதுபோன்ற குற்றங்களில் ஈடுபடுபவர்கள்… pic.twitter.com/QGEYo9FWJq

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) June 19, 2024

Opposition AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, who visitied the families of the victims, on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister M K Stalin.“Our Kallakurichi MLA had complained to the Superintendent of Police about the sale of spurious liquor just last week, and reminded the officer of the required action a few days ago. Last year, he sought to move a special calling to attention motion seeking action, but the government did not take it up,” Palaniswami said.

He announced that the AIADMK would bear the educational expenses of children who lost parents and provide `5,000 per month to each affected family. BJP state president K Annamalai reiterated his demand to sack the Prohibition and Excise Minister S Muthusamy from the Cabinet. “The Chief Minister should ponder if he (Muthusamy) has the righteousness to continue in his position after the loss of over 60 lives due to illicit liquor in the last two years,” Annamalai said in a post on X.The Tamil Nadu BJP announced `1 lakh in compensation for each victim.

Ousted AIADMK leader and  close aide of the late J Jayalalithaa, V K Sasikala, also visited the patients at the Kallakurichi hospital.The state BJP unit has written to the Centre, seeking a CBI probe into the tragedy.