BHOPAL: Close on the heels of the spurious liquor deaths Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for capital punishment and hefty fine of Rs 20 lakh over fatalities due to illicit liquor. State cabinet approved amendments to the state Excise Act incorporating capital punishment and life imprisonment in the cases of deaths caused due to the consumption of spurious liquor. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Mantralaya on Tuesday. This amendment proposal which also imposes Rs 20 lakh fine will become a law once approved by the state Legislative Assembly. The move comes against the backdrop of the death of seven people after drinking spurious liquor in Mandsaur and four in Indore recently. State government spokesman and Home minister Narottam Mishra informed the media the amendments are introduced to Madhya Pradesh Excise Amendment Act 2021 to curb crimes related to the illegal liquor trade and deaths caused due to spurious liquor.“The cabinet has approved the Madhya Pradesh Excise Amendment Act 2021 under which the provisions of life imprisonment and the death penalty have been made in the cases related to deaths due to spurious liquor. A provision of Rs 20 lakh fine in such cases has also been made in the amendment” said the home minister. Currently convicts are sentenced to imprisonment of five to a maximum of ten years in cases related to deaths due to the consumption of spurious liquor. The amount of fine is up to Rs 10 lakh the minister said. But now the law is being made more stringent said Mishra adding that in cases of physical damage caused to victims after drinking spurious liquor the penalty has been increased ranging from 10 years to maximum of 14 years from the present one year to six years in addition to fine up to Rs 10 lakh.

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