17 dead after consuming toxic liquor in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: An estimated 17 people have died due to consumption of toxic liquor in the last four days and around 150 sellers and buyers of the hazardous substance have been arrested.

The regional excise director and seven SHOs have been suspended, SSP Pir Fareed Sarhindi’s spokesman said. A majority of the deaths have taken place in Hyderabad’s rural tehsil and the katchi abadis.

Six patients are undergoing treatment for consumption of the liquor and officials say the unconfirmed number of deaths is almost double the official toll.

However, these deaths have yet to be verified by examination reports and police say relatives of the deceased are unwilling to come forward and register FIRs against those selling the liquor.

Police have lodged 20 FIRs and nominated 22 suspects in the case, some of whom have been named in multiple FIRs, in eight police stations.
Suspects have been charged under Sections 3/4 of PEHO, which is punishable with up to eight years in jail. However, the conviction rate is very low under this law and so is the prison sentence even after being proven guilty. “I have never seen anyone serving longer than six months in jail under this law,” a senior non-gazetted officer told The Express Tribune.



DIG Hyderabad Dr Sanaullah Abbasi told The Express Tribune he warned the SHOs that they will not only be suspended if the moonshine liquor outlets or casualties are found in their area, but they will be booked in the FIRs and jailed. Initially, seven SHOs will face a departmental inquiry concerning alleged abetment in the illegal activity.

“Families of the deceased persons are unwilling to pursue cases against these sellers,” SP City and Latifabad tehsils Umer Tufail said. The liquor sellers can be implicated under Section 318 of the CRPC which refers to unintentional murder and is punishable with up to ten years. The SP said police will try to persuade the bereaved families to file the cases, and top police officials will consider becoming complainant in these cases.

Despite this tacit admission of police connivance, no policeman has been booked in any of the FIRs. SP Qasimabad and rural tehsils Haider Raza, whose jurisdiction is a hub of the liquor’s sale and where most of the deaths have occurred, says no suspect under investigation has accused any policemen.

Meanwhile, Secretary Excise Abdul Majeed Pathan said he has removed the regional director Agha Abdur Rehman from the charge. “Our intelligence team will map out the illegal liquor sales locations and this will be followed by a province-wide crackdown,” he said.

He added that sale and consumption of liquor is rampant in Sukkur, Badin, Thatta, Tharparkar, Sanghar and many other districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2014.