Spurious liquor has claimed six lives in Kanpur’s Ghatampur area in the past four days, even as five persons, one of whom is critical, are undergoing treatment in hospital. A police probe has found that two general merchant stores in the area were selling illicit, country-made liquor. Advertising The Kanpur police carried out searches at general merchant and government liquor shops in Ghatampur area Tuesday. Of a total of 20 police teams, each was assigned 10 villages. Two FIRs were registered at Ghatampur police station, eight persons were arrested while 13 others were detained for questioning in connection with sale of illicit liquor, said Additional Superintendent of Police, Rural (Kanpur), Pradyumna Singh. A magisterial inquiry was also ordered in the case. District Excise Inspector Arvind Kumar Shukla and two constables, Dinesh Kumar Verma and Vinay Kumar Mishra, were suspended for dereliction of duty, said District Excise Officer, Kanpur, Rajesh Kumar Mishra. He added, “The licence of a government liquor shop in Ghatampur area, where a staffer was found to be involved in selling illicit liquor, has been suspended. We are also conducting an inquiry.” The Kanpur SSP suspended station house officer of Ghatampur police station, Janardhan Pratap Singh Rathore, Saad outpost in-charge, sub-inspector Devendra Singh and two constables, the ASP said. Four persons, Ram Babu (55), Bhola Nath Pasi (60), Surya Kumar (36) and Umesh Pasi (30), all from Khadri village, died over the past two days. Earlier, on March 9, Shiv Shankar (45) and Virendra Yadav of Sukhiyapur village had died after consuming the liquor. All six died during treatment at the hospital, said SHO, Ghatampur police station, Harmeet Singh. Postmortem of all the deceased was done and viscera preserved for further tests as cause of death could not be ascertained, he added. Advertising Inspector General (Kanpur Range) Alok Singh, said, “Preliminary investigation has shown that the victims had purchased liquor from general merchant shops in Khadri and Sukhiyapur villages. A probe is on.”

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