Deaths from toxic moonshine top 31

Police register case against unidentified people

FAISALABAD: The death toll from the consumption of poisonous liquor in Punjab’s Toba Tek Singh district rose to 31 as more people – mostly members of the Christian community – died on Tuesday during treatment at different hospitals.

The incident of mass consumption of tainted moonshine took place on Monday in the district’s Mohallaha Mubarakabad where liquor was served after a cake-cutting ceremony in a Christmas party.

Talking to media, Muhammad Sulaman a resident of Mubarakabad said: “About 100 persons participated in the Christmas celebrations in which liquor was served after consuming which dozens of people started vomiting or swooned.”

He said around 64 people were affected after drinking the liquor. These people, mostly residents of Mubarakabad and Christian Colony, were immediately rushed to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Toba Tek Singh. “However, a dozen of them had already expired before reaching the health facility,” he added.

According to hospital sources, 33 people were still undergoing treatment in Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital. “Forty-nine persons were shifted to Allied Hospital but 16 of them expired on their way to the hospital,” said Dr Muhammad Jamil.

He said another 20 people are in critical condition and are being given treatment. “Four people are still undergoing treatment in the ICU. They are Asif Masih, Shahbaz Masih, Kamran Masih and Muhammad Shahzhad,” he said.

Meanwhile, police registered an FIR under Section 322/337-J of the Pakistan Penal Code against unidentified persons who served the liquor during the party.

District Police Officer (DPO) Usman Akram Gondal told The Express Tribune that two teams have been constituted to ascertain the facts and also to trace out those who supplied the toxic brew. “Four people – who manufacture liquor in the area – have been taken into custody for questioning,” he said.

According to some reports, the liquor was brought by one Saleem Masih, who served as sweeper at Police Station Chuttina. The liquor, recovered by the Chuttina police three months ago, was later illegally sold by police through Saleem, who also brought it for the party and died after consuming it.

Asked about the involvement of police officials in selling the poisonous liquor, Gondal said: “The Chuttina Police did recover a huge quantity of the locally-made liquor which is still in the district maal khana; however we are still ascertaining the facts from this angle too”.

The DPO said despite resistance and refusal of the relatives of the deceased for postmortem, the police have succeeded in getting autopsies conducted on four corpses. “Samples gathered have been sent for analysis in Punjab Forensic Laboratory in Lahore,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2016.