Patna, March 22 A Bihar Police constable, who allegedly consumed spurious liquor on the day of Holi (March 18) and fell sick, succumbed in Bhagalpur medical college and hospital on Tuesday.
The victim was identified as Dipak Kumar Singh (30), who is deployed in Begusarai and currently undergoing special training in Banka district.
In a confessional statement before local media in the hospital, he said that he, along with three other friends, had purchased two IMFL liquor bottles on March 18 and consumed them to celebrate Holi.
"The liquor was purchased by my friends Arvind Yadav and Mithun Kumar from Sagar Chaudhary and Sachin Chaudhary, natives of Sahebganj locality in Bhagalpur. Abhishek Kumar, who is also my friend, joined the liquor party too. We have consumed liquor together," Singh said before the media.
"After consuming the liquor, I suffered from stomach ache, vomiting, and loose motions. My friends took me to hospital in Bhagalpur where I lost eyesight in next 5 hours," he said.
Bhagalpur SSP Babu Ram said that Mithun Kumar and Abhishek Kumar also died during treatment in the hospital.
"As their parents had no knowledge about the liquor consumption and post-mortem reports also not given conclusive reports, we have preserved their viscera for further tests," he said.
The SSP said that Arvind Yadav is currently battling for his life in the hospital, and had given a statement to police where he named brothers Sagar and Sachin Chaudhary as sellers of the liquor. "Their father Shyam Chaudhary was also involved in the liquor operation. On the basis of Arvind Kumar's statement, we arrested them on the night of March 21," he said.
"We have also arrested Satish Chaudhary, a native of Shahganji village under Habibganj police station, and Sonu Kumar Shah alias Loha Singh, a native of Lalmatia village. These two used to obtain liquor from a handler in Godda and supplied it to Sagar and Sachin Chaudhary," Babu Ram said.
"The accused are being booked under relevant IPC sections of murder, attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, and murder by feeding poisonous substance in Sahebganj police station. Further investigation is on," he said.
The Bihar government is facing criticism over 42 mysterious deaths in four districts since March 18, of which over half (22) were from Bhagalpur, while there were 12 in Banka, three in Madhepura, and five in Siwan.
In the majority of the cases, state police and the Excise Department claimed that the deaths were not due to consumption of poisonous liquor, but Arvind Kumar and Constable Dipak Singh's confessional statements ofshow otherwise.
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