2020 Punjab alcohol poisoning
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2020 Punjab alcohol poisoning was an incident in late July and early August 2020, where at least 100 people died after drinking illegally-made toxic alcohol in Punjab, India.[3] Hundreds of raids were conducted in the three affected districts - Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran - along with several other places in and around the Rajpura and Shambhu border in Punjab. Forty people were arrested in relation to the incident.[4] Seven excise officials, six policemen were also suspended over the incident.[5]
Prevalence of alcohol in Punjab
Drinking in India has always existed since the Vedic age.[6] According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, which revealed that more than 11% of Indians were binge drinkers. In Punjab, the number of people drinking far exceeds the average in India.[7] It is surprising that more than half of Punjabi men drink alcohol and the state also houses the highest proportion of children consuming alcohol.[8] The reasons why this phenomenon is so prevalent are that Punjabi's hold much pride and honour in their family name, they don't want to be seen as having a problem or as being weak, and alcohol is the one thing that helps them deal with everyday life.[9]
Reasons for the making and drinking of toxic alcohol
The WHO reckons that "unrecorded" alcohol makes up more than half of all alcohol consumed in India. Locally brewed liquor, for example, is not recorded or taxed in some states. A survey by the International Alliance of Responsible Drinking in 2014 found a large number of drinkers preferring country liquor or homemade alcohol, often counterfeit and contraband.[10]
One reason why illegal liquor is so popular is the huge unfulfilled demand for alcohol, which drives supply underground into an unregulated industry. India is the second biggest consumer of alcohol in the world, nearly one in every two bottles of whiskey brought around the world is sold there.[11] Because of the difference in the prices of IMFL liquor and illegal liquor, to limit consumption, many state governments impose excessive taxes on alcohol sales.[12] The state controls the alcohol industry in India, where the poor cannot afford licensed trademarks in government stores, but illegal liquor made in backstreet distilleries that sells for just 10 cents a litre, affordable even for the poorest.[13]
Investigation
Response by the government
To criminals
According to The Indian Express, the property of the culprits will be confiscated[16][17] and the Amarinder Singh government proposed the death penalty for manufacturers and suppliers of spurious liquor.[16]
Rajeev Joshi
Rajeev Joshi was responsible for the case of alcohol poisoning in Punjab. He was procuring various types of alcohol and spirits from Punjab and Delhi and this time supplied the three drums of methanol, which were used to make the spurious methanol-based alcohol. He was arrested late on 3 August.[18]
Ravinder Singh Anand
Ravinder Singh Anand of Moga had bought three cans of spurious liquor from the Ludhiana businessman. He was arrested before 3 August.[19]
Jaswant Singh and Balwinder Kaur
Jaswant and Balwinder have been notorious for the production and sale of spurious liquor. Jaswant Singh died after consuming his own distillate. Balwinder Kaur was arrested before 4 August.[20]
Harjit Singh and Shamsher Singh
Harjit Singh and Shamsher Singh are two key absconders of father-son duo from Pandori Golain in the hooch tragedy. They were arrested on 7 August.[21]
Other criminals
The number of arrests in the case had gone up to 40 as of 4 August,[18] and it had increased to 54 by 26 August.[22]
To officials
The state government suspended seven excise officials and sic police officials before 1 August.[23][24]
To victims
On 1 August, the government announced a compensation of ₹200,000 (₹2 lakh) for each of the families of the deceased.[24]
On 7 August, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced an increase in the compensation from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. He also announced a relief of ₹5 lakh to those who survived the tragedy but lost their eyesight.[17][21]
Besides, Amarinder Singh handed over a cheque of ₹29,200,000 (₹2.92 crore) for 92 victim families of Tarn Taran to the deputy commissioner.[21]