Chennai: A pall of gloom has descended upon Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu as 14 people died after consuming spurious liquor over the weekend. Many among the dead were fishermen. Fifty one people are being treated in hospitals across both districts. Chief Minister MK Stalin, who visited those under medical care, blamed it on the use of the deadly industrial methanol by bootleggers.
The state government has suspended 10 police officers, including Villupuram SP and two DSPs in charge of prohibition enforcement. The chief of Chengalpattu police has been transferred. The investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch CID.
Tamil Nadu state BJP chief Annamalai and leader of the opposition Edappadi Palaniswami have slammed the ruling DMK, calling it incompetent. Palaniswami has demanded that the Chief Minister resign.
PMK chief Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said: "Around 500,000 people die every year due to liquor in Tamil Nadu. No one talks about this. We are only talking about these 14 cases. We want total prohibition".
In a crackdown after the tragedy, more than 400 suspected bootleggers have been arrested. Though the ruling party has promised phased prohibition, the DMK government was recently criticised for launching automatic liquor vending machines in shops and permitting alcohol at international events, which has been put on hold by a court.
Last year, the state government earned £4.4, billion from the sale of liquor. For years, successive state governments have argued prohibition would open floodgates of illicit liquor.