According to the hospital sources, the two persons who were serious succumbed today, while four others under treatment at the hospital were still serious. The two victims also belong to Kangu-Slappar area.
Earlier, five victims have been identified as Chet Ram, Sudesh Kumar (Slappar), Lal Singh ( Sudhan), Kala Ram (Kangu), Rajneesh Kumar(Kharota) of Sundernagar area.
As many as four other victims, two of them critical were under treatment at the medical college Ner Chowk near Mandi. The two victims were rushed to the hospital yesterday from the Kangu area after they also developed symptoms, the police sources said.
The Slappar liquor tragedy has revealed that the liquor firms are allegedly pumping spurious liquor under the nose of the excise and tax department, targeting the simple village folks to make easy money even if it means playing with the health and life of the gullible consumers, charged locals.
The SIT should investigate the case thoroughly bringing the "liquor firms and license holder and retailers and role of the excise inspectors in this case" to justice, who are selling the spurious or contaminated liquor under the nose of excise department, the family member of the victims demand.
DGP Himachal Pradesh Sanjay Kundu said police have booked two liquor firms- Santra Brand Desi liquor, VRV foods ltd Sansarpur Terrace, Kangra and Power star fine whisky, industrial area, phase-2 Chandigarh under section 304, 308 and 120 B in an FIR lodged at the police station, Sundarnagar today.
The police have constituted a four-member special investigating team (SIT) headed by DIG, central range, Madhu Sudan, SP Kangra, Khushal Chand Sharma, Shalini Agnihotri, SP Mandi and Virender Kalia, SP Crime, CID, Shimla to investigate the matter, he said.
According the police, some people had consumed liquor January 17 in evening hours at Slapparh near Sundarnagar. They alleged that they consumed liquor of the Santra brand desi liquor and the Power star fine whisky.
The two persons had developed symptoms in the morning. They were rushed in an incubated condition to the community health centre Sundernagar for treatment. Later they were referred to the Medical college Ner Chowk at 11:30 PM on January 18 and other at 2:50 AM on January 19. But both the victims of spurious liquor died at 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. respectively today, the police said.
The police said the five persons have died while the two others are in critical condition due to the consumption of spurious liquor so far. The SIT investigation in this connection is on, DGP said.
Meanwhile the government has announced Rs 8 lakh compensation to the next of kin of the victims considering the gravity of the situation in Sundernagar area.
