Southern States
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Tamil Nadu
One held for hooch tragedy
By K. T. Sangameswaran
CHENNAI, DEC. 5. A person wanted in the case of the November 30 Panruti hooch tragedy, which killed over 50 persons, has been arrested by the Bangalore police.
The Shivajinagar police arrested Shekar, a resident of Panruti, near an arrack shop at Kalasipalayam.
The Director-General of Police, Mr. B. P. Nailwal, told The Hindu that three out of four sellers died after consuming the deadly chemical, methanol. Another person, Govindan, allegedly committed suicide. The police were looking out for some more persons, particularly the `big sharks' who organised the sale.
It is suspected that the sellers, like the consumers, were poor and ignorant of the chemical.
`Govt. responsible'
Holding the Government as responsible for the tragedy, the Tamil Nadu Anti-liquor Movement
said its prohibition policy itself was anti-people. The existence of bootlegging revealed its lack of firmness in dealing with the situation. The police, ``which act just on a signal from the Government and effect arrests'', had miserably failed in implementation of prohibition.
The organisation said the Government should take action against real culprits, not against those engaged as casual labourers by illicit distillers.
S. Nadarajan reports from Pondicherry:
Meanwhile, in a raid conducted jointly by the police and excise personnel at Silukaripalayam, Andiarpalayam and Kalitheerthalkuppam near Tamil Nadu border, 1000 pots of fermented wash and 500 plastic barrels of brew were destroyed.
The Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr. Anand Mohan, told newsmen in Pondicherry today that Rs. 50 lakhs worth brew was destroyed.
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