Odisha spurious liquor case: One dies, two critical at MKCG hospital

The deceased was one of 20 people who fell ill after allegedly consuming adulterated liquor in Maoundpur village.

Berhampur: One of the 15 people receiving treatment at MKCG Medical College Hospital for consuming spurious country liquor died on Tuesday night, police said.

The deceased was identified as Jura Behera, 60, from Jenapur near Chikiti.

He was one of 20 people who fell ill after allegedly consuming adulterated liquor in Maoundpur village, located within the jurisdiction of K Nuagaon police station in Ganjam district, on Monday.

Behera had been in the ICU since Monday night and had underlying health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure.

He passed away at 12.30 am during his treatment, the Superintendent of the Medical College and Hospital, Suchitra Dash, said.

The other 14 people are undergoing treatment at the medical college and hospital.

The condition of two of them was critical and they were undergoing treatment in the ICU, Dash said.

Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and villagers staged a road blockade at Chikiti demanding compensation of Rs 20 lakh.

Over 20 people of Jenapur, Maoundapur, Karabalua, fell sick after consuming the country-made liquor from an illegal vendor on Monday and were first admitted at the community health centre, Chikiti before being shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital on the same night.

The police and excise personnel conducted joint raids in the area to crack down on the illegal units of the country that made liquor.

“We have arrested at least six persons and destroyed huge quantities of 'pochha' (raw liquor) near the Digapahandi area during the joint raids conducted by the police and excise personnel,” the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Berhampur, Sarthak Sarangi, said.

Among the arrested persons, one of the key accused in the hooch incident, Surendra Mallick, was accused of supplying the country-made liquor, he said.