‘Fear of police, last rites without post-mortem’, claims Sushil Modi

BJP MP Sushil Modi on Sunday claimed that the family members of the victims in the Chapra hooch tragedy are performing their last rites without post-mortem due to “fear of the police”. 

Modi also accused the state government of hiding the actual number of deaths in the tragedy and claimed “more than 100 deaths”. “The death toll has crossed 100 but the government is hiding the numbers. Due to fear of the police, people are performing the last rites of their family members without a post-mortem,” Sushil Modi said while addressing the reporters here. 

Modi on Saturday met the families of those who lost their lives in the Chhapra hooch tragedy. 

The official death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra due to the consumption of spurious liquor has mounted to at least 72. The incident was initially reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Saran Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Kumar has suspended Isuapur Station House Officer Sanjay Ram, Chowkidar Hari Rai, Dafadar Krisha Singh and Chowkidar Ramnath Manjhi of Mashrakh police station with immediate effect on the charges of dereliction of duty. Masrakh SHO Ritesh Mishra and constable Vikesh Tiwari had been suspended on Thursday on the recommendation of Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Yogendra Kumar.

Amid severe criticism from the Opposition, led by the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that no compensation will be given if a person dies after consuming spurious liquor.

“No compensation will be provided to people who die after consuming spurious liquor. We have been appealing to you not to drink. If you drink, you will die. Those who speak against prohibition will not bring any good to the people,” the Bihar CM said in the Assembly on Friday.