Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on April 17, 2023, announced the compensation of ₹4 lakh each to family members of those who died in hooch incidents since 2016. Mr. Kumar made the statement following the hooch tragedy in Motihari of East Champaran district in which 22 people died after consuming spurious liquor.
What is hooch tragedy in Bihar?
Hooch means alcoholic liquor especially when it is cheap or made illegally. The 2016 Bihar alcohol poisonings killed 16 people on 16 August 2016 in Gopalganj town of Bihar, India. The victims had consumed hooch (spurious liquor) and complained of nausea and stomach ache. A prohibition on country-made liquor was imposed in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar led state government on 1 April 2016.
On the night of 15 August 2016, some people in Khajur Vani locality in Gopalganj town consumed country-made liquor (hooch) and began suffering from stomach pain and vomiting. After being rushed to hospital for treatment, five people died by late evening and overnight eight more deaths took place, raising the death toll to 13. Three people are said to have lost their vision.
Locals and family members claimed the deaths took place after these people consumed spurious liquor. However, the administration denied the deaths took place due to consuming spurious liquor with police claiming food poisoning as the cause of death.