Panel formed to probe spurious liquor death claims in MP's Dewas; report in 15 days

The Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a five-member committee to investigate claims that at least 10 persons died after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district, officials said on Sunday.

The panel will submit its report within 15 days, they said.

Ujjain divisional commissioner constituted the committee after conflicting claims over the deaths.

Some villagers have claimed that at least 10 persons died after consuming spurious liquor in Dewas district between September 27 and October 16.

The district administration had earlier dismissed the claims as false and misleading. It later said viscera samples of two deceased persons have been sent to a forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination. The cause of death would become clear after the reports are received, it added.

The administration said 10 persons died in Chandana village between October 1 and 15, but denied that any of the deaths was caused by spurious liquor. It attributed the deaths to old age, common illnesses, brain haemorrhage and "deterioration of health due to excessive alcohol consumption".

Ujjain Additional District Magistrate Pratham Kaushik will head the probe committee, which includes Mandsaur Additional Superintendent of Police Ramsanehi Mishra, Ratlam Sub-Divisional Police Officer Lekhraj Meena, Ujjain divisional flying squad Deputy Excise Commissioner Harshvardhan Rai and Regional Director of Public Health and Medical Education Dr Deepak Kumar Pippal.

The panel will conduct a detailed and impartial inquiry into the causes and circumstances of the deaths, along with the related technical and administrative aspects, and submit a factual report within 15 days, according to the Ujjain divisional commissioner's order.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari has claimed that 22 persons died after consuming spurious liquor in Chandana, Binjana and adjoining areas over the past month, while at least 40 people suffered damage to their eyesight.

The Opposition party leader has accused the administration of concealing the deaths and shielding the "liquor mafia".