UP hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 26

Etah, July 18 (ANI): In Uttar Pradesh, with 22 casualties in Etah and four in adjoining district Farrukhabad, the death toll has risen to 26 in the hooch tragedy which wrecked havoc in Aliganj area of Etah. District authorities said that more than fifty persons are undergoing treatment at various hospitals where condition of some of them is still critical. Meanwhile the state BJP has constituted a seven member committee to probe the incident. According to reports, Agra MP and ex Union Minister Ramshankar Katheria and others are part of the team. A state-wide crackdown against production and sale of illicit liquor continues in Uttar Pradesh. The teams have recovered huge quantity of illicit liquor and its raw material from various places including Bareilly, Kushinagar, Bijnore, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Etah, Mau and Kanpur Dehat. Police also arrested several persons in the matter. Earlier, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi expressed profound grief over the loss of lives in Etah. Gandhi, who took to micro-blogging site to express his condolences to the victims' families, said all those responsible must be brought to book "My deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this tragedy," he tweeted. "V.sad to learn that many ppl have lost their lives in Etah,UP because of consuming spurious liquor.Those responsible must be brought to book," he said in another tweet. Meanwhile, the main accused in the hooch tragedy, Sripal, was arrested from Nayagaon area on Saturday night. According to reports, the incident took place on Friday evening when several people from Luhari Darwaja and adjacent Laukhera village were taken ill after consumed spurious liquor. Reports state that five government employees, including three from the excise department, have been suspended following the incident. (ANI)