Tragic: Four die after consuming toxic moonshine

'We are trying to get their families to file murder complaints against the liquor sellers'.


Our Correspondent October 26, 2014

HYDERABAD: Four people died within 24 hours of consuming toxic moonshine in Hyderabad. 

Imtiaz Gadahi, 45, and Nazakat Gadahi alias Babu, 35, died in Civil Hospital, Karachi on Sunday — a day after they were brought to the hospital. Mewo Bheel, 40, and Ramazan Sipio succumbed to the effects of toxic liquor on Saturday.

Earlier this month, Hyderabad police confirmed that around two dozen people had died of consuming toxic moonshine days before Eidul Azha. The police launched a campaign against liquor dealers and arrested hundreds. Hyderabad Deputy Inspector General Dr Sanaullah Abbasi suspended five station house officers and transferred 48 policemen - many of them were accused of taking bribes and helping liquor and narcotics dealers run their rackets. Though the number of cases related to toxic moonshine petered after that, several new ones are now emerging.

Qasimabad and Rural Tehsils Superintendent Haider Raza, whose jurisdiction is the hub of liquor sales and where most of the deaths have occurred, confirmed the deaths. He told The Express Tribune that he had alerted the relevant police station and they were looking for the dealers who had sold the toxic liquor. "We are trying to persuade the families of the deceased to file complaints with the police so that the criminals responsible for the heinous crime could be awarded capital punishment under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code."

He said at present, cases had been registered under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979. "They [liquor sellers] will only be punished for six months under that," he said.

Hyderabad police have registered around three dozen cases, but only one of them carried Section 302. The murder case was registered against Bachal Magsi and his accomplices after police recovered 7,000 litres of toxic methyl chemical, used in the preparation of the moonshine, from their property.

Dr Baldev, the medico-legal officer at Civil Hospital, said the two deaths at the hospital had not been referred to their section. "We haven't received bodies for post-mortem to check whether they had died from consuming toxic liquor."

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27th, 2014.

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