Kohima, Sep 14 — In the wake of 10 people, including three members of a family, dying in "dry state" Nagaland’s Tuensang, with spurious liquor consumption suspected as the cause in nine of the cases, the state Excise and Prohibition Department has issued a statewide advisory against consuming liquor of unknown or doubtful origin.
Tuensang police said that between September 10 and 12, nine of the deceased had a direct or indirect circumstantial link to alcohol consumption, while the circumstances leading to the deaths were yet to be conclusively established.
Nagaland Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma said the victims reportedly died after consuming what was suspected to be spurious liquor.
According to police, another person, reportedly a family member of a liquor seller, died by suicide and the case was being investigated separately.
Media reports quoting local residents, however, suggested that the actual death toll could be higher, with some deaths possibly going unreported.
An official release said Tuensang police received reports on September 12 regarding a pattern of deaths involving people who had been admitted to Tuensang Civil Hospital.
Preliminary enquiries revealed that in most cases, the deceased had reportedly consumed liquor before developing symptoms such as blurred vision, severe headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, the police said.
Although consumption of spurious or adulterated liquor is suspected to be a possible cause of the deaths, it could not be scientifically and conclusively established at this stage, the police said.
Scientific and forensic procedures would be undertaken as part of the investigation, the statement said.
Post-mortem examinations were not conducted in most of the cases as the mortal remains had already been taken for funerals before police became aware of the pattern of deaths, it added.
The Tuensang police are conducting a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths, identify the source and nature of the liquor consumed and determine whether any person or persons were responsible for the incident.
Police also learnt that three of those who died were members of a family from whose premises the liquor was reportedly purchased by some of the deceased.
Police conducted search and raid operations across Tuensang town and in the Chendang Saddle area to identify and seize suspected unauthorised, spurious or adulterated liquor. During the operations, around 470 bottles of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and beer cans were seized from different locations, officials said.
Commissioner of Excise H. Atokhe Aye issued a statewide public advisory urging people to exercise "utmost caution" and "strictly refrain" from consuming liquor.
"The Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989 provides for the prohibition of the possession, sale, consumption, manufacture, import and export of liquor in the state. The present situation further underscores the serious risks associated with illicit and unregulated liquor," he said in a statement.
The department, in coordination with other authorities, has initiated immediate inquiries and enforcement action to ascertain the source and nature of the suspected spurious liquor and take appropriate action in accordance with law, the statement said. The public has been advised to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspected manufacture, possession, sale or distribution of illicit liquor to the nearest Excise office, it added.
The opposition Congress demanded a thorough investigation, action against everyone involved in the illegal supply chain and any negligent officials, besides immediate ex-gratia compensation for the bereaved families.
The Congress, in a statement, questioned how spurious liquor was reaching people in Nagaland despite the state being under prohibition law.
"If Nagaland is a 'dry state', how is spurious liquor freely reaching our people and claiming lives ?" the party asked.
"This tragedy raises serious questions about enforcement and accountability. The government owes the people answers. Accountability must be fixed and lives must not be reduced to statistics," the statement said.