West Bengal: 12 people die after consuming illicit liquor

Around 12 people died after consuming illicit liquor in Kolkata's Nadia district on Wednesday night. The incident took place in Nadia's Shantipur area.

District Magistrate Sumit Gupta confirmed the incident. Gupta added that one woman was among the 12 deceased.

"The death toll is 12 now. The condition of the 25 people, who are undergoing treatment at the Shantipur State General Hospital, is quite serious. Depending on the nature of their treatment, we will think of shifting them to hospitals in Kolkata," PTI quoted Gupta.

The state CID, which has taken over the case, has so far arrested four people in connection with their involvement in selling spurious liquor in Shantipur area, a senior officer of the agency said.

"All the four people were produced before a court which has ordered police remand for all of them," he said.

Asked whether the liquor was brought from outside the state, the officer said, "So far, the arrested people have not told us anything of such sort. We are conducting tests of the liquor and trying to find out whether they were mixed with any chemical from outside."

The state government announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

Eleven excise officials have been suspended, police said.

On Wednesday, locals at Nrishinghapur village in Nadia district consumed spurious liquor, they said.

A majority of the dead and the sick were brick-field labourers, the locals said, alleging that the spurious liquor was brought from nearby Kalna in Burdwan district.

(With Agency Inputs)