At least four people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in East Champaran district of dry Bihar in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, the police said.

The deaths took place in areas under Turkauliya and Paharpur police stations of East Champaran, the police said.

Seven persons have so far been detained by the police as part of the investigation into the incident, a Bihar police headquarters statement said here.

The dead have been identified as Tuntun Singh (35), Bhutan Manjhi (40), Chotu Paswan (25) and Ashok Paswan (45), the police said.

Family members of Tuntun Singh and Bhutan Manjhi have cremated their bodies, while the police have sent bodies of Chotu Paswan and Ashok Paswan for the post-mortem examination, the statement said.

“The district police is investigating the matter and trying to ascertain those involved in illegal liquor trade. Excise department officials are also probing the incident,” the Bihar police report said.

It is suspected that victims may have died after consuming spurious liquor. The exact cause of their death will be known after the post-mortem report, a senior police official said.

Unconfirmed reports said that several villagers are being treated in private hospitals in the adjacent districts, where they were rushed.

The sale and consumption of alcohol was banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016. However, incidents of smuggling of liquor continue to be reported from the state notwithstanding the ongoing drive against bootleggers.

In the last major hooch tragedy in December 2022 scores of people had died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran district.

The National Human Rights Commission issued notices to Bihar government and other concerned authorities in connection with the Saran hooch tragedy and its reports blamed the administration for the deaths.

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