The death count in Nagaland’s suspected spurious liquor tragedy has risen to 19. As of Friday, the Mokokchung district reported eight deaths, in addition to 11 deaths earlier reported from the Tuensang district.
Right from the first death, Nagaland police has investigated the case and we have launched a crackdown that is still continuing. In Mokokchung, police confirmed on Saturday that six people died in the Mangkolemba sub-division and two in the Mokokchung Police Station-II area. Police have now arrested several people. “These deaths have happened over a period of two weeks. We arrested several people related to this case. The DGP Nagaland has issued a red alert for the eastern districts. Meanwhile, both Tuensang and Mokokchung police have appealed to the public to exercise caution and refrain from consuming any unidentified, unlabelled or suspected illicit alcoholic beverage.
Over the past two weeks, several people have died in Nagaland due to the consumption of spurious liquor. The tragedy first came to light on September 24, when four died and another four fell ill in Mangkolemba. Tuensang Police had earlier seized over 470 bottles and arrested several persons.
Nagaland police have started a crackdown against spurious liquor and arrested multiple people linked with the case, the state’s Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order ) Sandeep M Tamgadge said. The crackdown will be intensified,” Tamgadge told NDTV from Kohima over the phone.
