Saran hooch case: Sushil Modi cites liquor law provision to demand compensation for victims’ families

The Indian Express has learnt that the Gopalganj administration had distributed compensation cheques of Rs 4 lakh each to families of 14 of the 19 people who died in the 2016 Khajurbanni hooch case.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on Friday said the government would not pay compensation to those who died after drinking spurious liquor. This came a day after his “piyoge to maroge (you will die if you drink)” remark on the Saran hooch deaths, which drew strong reactions from the Opposition parties.

A victim of Saran hooch tragedy being treated in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), in Patna. (PTI)

“I am surprised how the Chief Minister is pretending to be oblivious to the compensation provision and issuing insensitive remarks over deaths of people. How can a Chief Minister speak like this? He is now not in control of things, he should hand over reigns to Tejashwi Prasad Yadav (Deputy Chief Minister), who might deal with the state affairs in a better manner,” Modi told The Indian Express.

So far, the government has confirmed 40 deaths in the Saran hooch case although the number could be much higher.

Phulmati Devi grieves the death of her two sons at Bahrauli village of Saran on Thursday. (Express photo by Santosh Singh)

“The hooch death toll might well have crossed 100. Since several bodies are cremated without postmortem, the correct number of deaths is not being reported. Most of those who have died in Saran are from OBC, EBC and Dalit communities,” said Modi, who visited Masrakh (Saran) on Saturday.

He said hooch deaths had been grossly under-reported by the government and it was ridiculous to see NCRB data showing only 23 deaths between 2016 and 2021.

JD (U) national spokesperson KC Tyagi, however, told The Indian Express: “What Sushil Modi is saying shows the double standards of the BJP. It was the same BJP which was not short of accusing Lalu Prasad and Tejashwi of ‘jungle raj’ and now he has started seeing merit in RJD leadership… Second, Nitish Kumar’s liquor policy should be seen in a broad manner and with Gandhian perspective. The state police has been doing its job for enforcement of prohibition law.”