Thiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu), Jan 13 (IANS) Four men died after consuming poisoned country-made liquor here, a police officer said.
The men died Monday afternoon after consuming arrack, which was found to be poisoned, near Thiruvannamalai, about 180 km southwest of Chennai.
'The packets were distributed by a notorious bootlegger known in the vicinity as Mannu,' superintendent of police V. Balakrishnan said.
'We are investigating the motive for the poisoning and have suspended inspector G. Raj and and sub-inspector N. Purushottaman for not taking adequate precautions against distribution of hooch,' he said.
The deceased have been identified as S. Gopal, 40, M. Jayaraman, 54, P.S. Pappammal, 70 and K. Gopalsamy, 40.
Balakrishnan said the bodies of the four men were handed to their family members Tuesday. One person, who is said to be in a critical condition, is undergoing treatment in Vellore.
He said seven bootleggers have been arrested under the Goondas Act.
Arrack is a diluted industrial (ethyl) alcohol distilled out of molasses. It has been banned in Tamil Nadu. Bootleggers service addicts often by adding small doses of highly poisonous methyl alcohol (otherwise known as wood spirit) as it accords a 'better high'.
Poisoned liquor claimed over 200 lives in June last year on both the sides of the southwest border between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
'Liquor poisoning cases usually could be treated by administration of doses of ethyl alcohol (mostly sold in the open market as as whiskey, brandy) under medical supervision, a medical expert G.S. Kailas said by telephone.
'If the poisoning is acute, the patient is usually helpless and dies within a few hours since the symptoms are mistaken for alcoholic hangovers by those afflicted,' he added.
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