Tainted Bootleg Liquor Kills More Than 30, Leaves Survivors Blinded

In this July 26 file photo, A man is shifted on a stretcher upon arriving in an ambulance at the civil hospital in Ahmedabad, India, after suffering health problems due to consuming bootleg liquor. (Photo by Sam PANTHAKY / AFP) (Photo by SAM PANTHAKY/AFP via Getty Images)

At least 31 people died and 20 others were hospitalized in serious condition after allegedly drinking tainted liquor sold without authorization in eastern India, according to CBS News. The deaths occurred Tuesday and Wednesday.

The sick were brought to a hospital by their families and died there, Dr. S.D. Sinha, the hospital chief, said, according to CBS.

Police officer Santosh Kumar said several of the 20 hospitalized lost their eyesight, per CBS.

Those killed were from three villages in Saran district of the state of Bihar, where it has been illegal to make, sell or drink liquor since 2016, when women’s groups campaigned against poor workers spending their incomes on booze.

The purchases and consumption of illegal, often dangerous, bootleg liquor are increased greatly by the fact that buying liquor legally isn’t an option.

Opposition parties, including the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, gathered Thursday outside the state legislature building to protest the liquor ban and ask for monetary compensation for the families of those killed, per CBS.

Sushil Modi, the state BJP leader, said more than 1,000 people have died after drinking tainted liquor since the ban began.

Nitish Kumar, the state’s top elected official belonging to the Janata Dal party, responded by saying the ban “not my personal wish but a response to the cries of the women of the state.”

In July, 21 died after drinking spiked booze in Gujarat, India.

Here at Whiskey Raiders, we do more than write about current events in Whiskey. We are the only media property reviewing whiskeys and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the whiskey world in one place. We also scour the internet daily in search of the best whiskey deals out there. If you’re interested in having a great whiskey deal and the latest news and reviews delivered to your inbox each morning, sign up for our Daily Deal Newsletter!