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East Champaran Hooch Deaths Reach 11 as Police Blame Methanol

Police now blame methanol-tainted liquor, pointing to an organized supply line under fresh scrutiny.

Overview

  • Bihar’s police chief, who spoke Tuesday, said spurious liquor laced with methanol killed 11 people in East Champaran as viscera tests are still pending.
  • Raids recovered nearly 1,500 litres of methanol that police say would have caused many more deaths if it had been mixed into illicit liquor.
  • Investigators found 50 jars labeled hydraulic oil holding 1,263 litres of spirit and are tracing supplies allegedly routed from Kanpur with suspected links across the Nepal border.
  • A Special Investigation Team is probing the network after seven FIRs were filed, 11 suspects were arrested, and two alleged ringleaders, Sunil Shah and Kanhaiya Kumar, surrendered.
  • About 15 people remain in hospitals and at least six report loss of eyesight, while wider raids reached West Champaran and a liquor stash in a Begusarai school showed the trade persists despite Bihar’s ban.