Liquor tragedy: Six found guilty, four acquitted

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, JULY 19. The Ernakulam First Additional Sub-Judge, Mr. A. Hariprasad, on Thursday found six persons, including two women, accused in the 1995 Mattancherry illicit liquor tragedy case, guilty of offences punishable under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 272 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 109 (abetment of crime) of the IPC.

The sentence to be awarded to them will be pronounced on Monday.

The judge acquitted four other persons of the charges.

According to the prosecution, the hooch tragedy took place on October 20, 1995 at Mattancherry in Kochi. As many as 14 persons were killed and 24 lost their eyesight following consumption of illicit arrack mixed with methyl alcohol sold from the house of Ms. Jeena, the first accused in the case. The methyl alcohol was brought from Beypore in Kozhikode. It was Jude, the third accused who had bought two cans of methyl alcohol when the stuff reached Fort Kochi.

The persons found guilty in the case are: Jeena, her mother Carmali, Raphel, Antony, Haneefa and Balan of Kozhikode. They are the first, second, seventh, 12th, 13th and 16th accused in the case respectively. Two of the accused, Jude and Jayan who is the son of Carmali, were absconding. As many as 16 persons had been arrayed as accused in the case. Of this, four persons who had consumed the illicit arrack died a few days after the tragedy. These four were employed by Jeena at her illegal `shop'.

Delivering the judgment, the court pointed out that the factual situation and evidence did not show that the accused had ever intended to cause the death of their customers. Therefore, the clauses under Section 300 IPC (murder) were not considered.

The judge said that even though the accused were aware of the nature of the spirit and mixed poisonous substances with the illicit arrack for ``enhancing its kick'', it could not be said that they acted with the knowledge that it was very dangerous and that it would, in all probability, cause the death of the drinkers. Their action could not be held liable for an offence of murder.

The acquitted persons are: Albert (accused No. 5), Saju (accused No. 6), Majeed (accused No. 14) and Clitus (accused No. 15). Acquitting them, the court said that there had been no evidence against them for implicating them in the crime.

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Section  : Southern States
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