India | Updated Jul 10, 2009 at 01:50am IST

Guj hooch tragedy: Death toll climbs to 80

ibnlive.com

New Delhi: More people have died in the Ahmedabad hooch tragedy after drinking illicit liquor, taking the death toll to 80.

The prime suspect in the hooch tragedy Harishankar Kahar was arrested on Wednesday night. Kahar alias Hariom, allegedly supplied spurious liquor in the Majoor Gam and Odhav areas where most of the deaths have occurred.

The ruling Narendra Modi government has come under attack after the tragedy. And the Congress party has called for a bandh in Odhav, Ahmedabad.

The incident, in fact has sparked off protests, demanding the government to crack down illegal liquor dens. The issue also rocked the Gujarat assembly with the Congress demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation.

Minister of State for Home Amit Shah had on Wednesday announced the formation of a enquiry commission headed by Retd High Court Justice Kamal Mehta to probe into the hooch tragedy and the report has to be submitted by November 30, 2009.

Meanwhile, several others are still undergoing treatment. And six police officials including have been suspended and transfered in wake of the deaths.

What is hooch?

Hooch is a colloquial name for illegally distilled grain-based alcoholic liquor.

The traditional country-made liquor includes nothing more than jaggery, alum, ammonium chloride and a flavour essence for a good flavour. But zinc and carbon used in batteries, rectified spirit used to clean wounds, ethyl alcohol are also used to make the concoction more potent.

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