2015 Malvani hooch tragedy: Four convicts get 10 years of rigorous imprisonment

Mumbai: A court here on Wednesday sentenced four convicts in the 2015 hooch tragedy, in which more than 100 persons lost their lives in Mumbai's Malvani area, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment.

The four convicts were identified as Raju Tapkar, Donald Patel, Francis D'mello and Mansoor Khan.

The court had convicted them on April 28, holding them guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide not amounting to murder as well as under sections of the Bombay Prohibition Act. It had, however, acquitted 10 other accused in the case saying that the prosecution failed to prove their role in the case.

At least 106 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Lakshmi Nagar slum at Malvani in Mumbai's western suburb of Malad in June 2015.

On Wednesday, additional sessions judge Swapnil Tawshikar, while pronouncing the quantum of punishment, said that no mitigating circumstances have been brought forward before him to show any concessions to the accused.

Hence, the accused are sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, the court said.

During his arguments, special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat had said it was a very serious offence wherein 106 people died, which is why maximum punishment should be given to the accused.

The punishment should be exemplary so that it sends a strong message to the society and deter people from committing such crimes, he had submitted.

During the course of trial, the prosecution had examined a witness, who assisted Tapkar in selling the hooch.

Other witnesses in the case had told the court about the spot where they had consumed the liquor.

The prosecution had also submitted the dying declaration of one of the victims, who had consumed liquor at Tapkar's den.

Police had also recovered a partially filled can with the illicit liquor and there was also deposition of victims, who lost eyesight.