Jorhat police arrested two key accused in connection with the hooch tragedy, which has left 155 dead in Golaghat and Jorhat districts since Thursday.
Parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary told the Assembly on Monday that 155 people have died in the tragedy, 95 in Golaghat district and 60 in Jorhat.
Jorhat superintendent of police Vaibhav Nimbalkar said the duo, Jitu Sonowal, 34, and Sunil Baruah, 41, alleged to have distributed toxic liquor at Bajalikota in Titabar subdivision, were arrested from Baksa district, about 390km from Jorhat, late on Sunday night.
The two accused hail from the Orungial area of Borholla in Jorhat district, where around 60 persons have died. Of them, 33 are from Borholla tea estate in Jorhat district.
Another 95 who died are from neighbouring Golaghat district, most of them from Halmira tea estate, which has lost 46 people. A Jorhat police team had gone to Baksa on Sunday.
The duo, on the run since Friday, have been charged with murder, he said.
They were booked under Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder), Nimbalkar said, adding that six more persons have been arrested.
Borholla police said the key accused were partners in the liquor business.
Jorhat police have arrested six more accused in the Borholla case, including Ramesh Tayed, Dilip Norah and Bholaram Paying, all residents of Gorajan Mishing gaon, Rupa Bora Kachari, Puhiti Chutia and Lakhu Rai, from under Borholla police station.
Nimbalkar added that 2,41,000 litres of illicit liquor had been destroyed in Jorhat district from February 1 to 24.
Borholla College students took out a silent procession at Titabar and in Jorhat, Assam Tea Tribes Students Association, Mahila Congress and Madh Mukto Samiti took out rallies and blocked AT Road, demanding a ban on laligur and increase in ex gratia to the kin of the deceased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Golaghat civil hospital and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital officials said the situation has improved on Monday but at least 26 more patients were admitted since Sunday night. Of the 247 patients still undergoing treatment, eight are critical, JMCH officials said. The total number of arrests has now gone up to 42, Golaghat district accounting for 34.
Upper Assam police commissioner Julie Sonowal will conduct a public hearing in Golaghat circuit house on Thursday. Anybody willing to depose before the Sonowal inquiry commission about the facts leading to the tragedy should contact Golaghat assistant deputy commissioner Arpa Baglary, sources said.
At Halmira tea estate field in Golaghat district, cremations continued for the fourth straight day on Monday. As many as 46 people from the estate had died in the tragedy of the 94 referred to the JMCH.
Pranjal Sarma, a doctor with Halmira tea estate, said it had been a taxing four days.
Garden workers, students, members of political parties continued to throng the field, and help with whatever way possible to tide over what Sarma said was “one of the worst tragedies to have hit Assam”.
- Additional reporting by Umanand Jaiswal
