(From top) Family members of two of the hooch victims mourn their death in Diamond Harbour on Wednesday; (bottom) a man who drank the illicit liquor being brought to the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital. Telegraph pictures Dec. 14: At least 57 people have died since last night after consuming illicit liquor in Diamond Harbour. Chiranjib Murmu, the superintendent of the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, said over 100 people were receiving treatment in three hospitals. A district health officer said methanol, a poisonous substance, had been found in the viscera of at least 15 hooch victims. People from about 10 villages in Mograhat and Sangrampur had drank the hooch, popularly known as chepti. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said tonight: “Consumption of illicit liquor is a social disease and this has to be eradicated. I want help from everybody and let’s not politicise the issue. I have asked Subratada (public health engineering minister Subrata Mukherjee) to call an all-party meeting.” Chief secretary Samar Ghosh said at Writers’ Buildings: “A team of doctors have been sent to the area. An ambulance from Calcutta police has been sent to bring people who need to be shifted to Calcutta.” Four persons have been arrested so far from Sangrampur on the charge of running illicit liquor dens, district police chief L.N. Meena said. “We are yet to trace the kingpin, who oversees the sale of pouches of illicit liquor,” he added. Most of those who died were daily labourers and hawkers. Police sources said Noor Islam alias Khonra Badsha, 51, a Mograhat resident, was the kingpin. The police demolished 10 illicit liquor shops in Diamond Harbour tonight. Residents of the 10 affected villages said chepti was sold in pouches of 500ml and 1 litre. While a 500ml pouch costs Rs 5, a 1 litre pouch is sold for Rs 10. “The liquor pouches are brought in sacks to Diamond Harbour on trains and then ferried to the villages of Sangrampur and Mograhat,” a Sangrampur resident said. He blamed the police for the mushrooming of illicit liquor dens in the area. “An illicit liquor shop is located just opposite the Sangrampur police outpost but the law-enforcers have not taken any action despite our repeated pleas. Those running the illicit liquor dens are in league with a section of the police,” he said. A district police officer did not deny the charge. “A section of low-ranking policemen may be involved. If we find that our men are in cahoots with those trading in illicit liquor, we will take action against them,” he said. Another resident alleged some excise inspectors were also “hand-in-glove” with the illicit liquor traders. He said excise inspectors did not conduct regular raids. Excise commissioner Deb Kumar Chakraborty, who visited the Diamond Harbour hospital, denied the charge. The villager said the “easy availability” of cheap pouches was a major reason for people getting addicted to hooch. “Vendors on cycles sell hooch pouches to daily labourers when they return from work in the evening,” he added. Many of those who have been hospitalised also said illicit liquor was easily available. “I had purchased two half-litre pouches for Rs 10 while returning home last evening and drank the liquor before dinner. After midnight, I felt a pain in my throat. Then I started vomiting,” said Julfikar Saddar, 35, who has been admitted to the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital. “I earn Rs 150 a day on average. So I can easily spend Rs 10 on liquor. Sometimes, the liquor vendors come to our houses. I drink every night,” he added. Besides the Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, several victims have also been admittted to M.R. Bangur Hospital and National Medical College Hospital. Lutsa Gayen, 22, whose husband Saifulla, 25, died after consuming hooch, said: “I used to request my husband not to drink and at least think about our only child. But he did not listen to me. I don’t know how I will bring up my son.” The state government has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of each of the dead. “Although they made a mistake, the chief minister has announced a compensation for their families,” PHE minister Mukherjee said. ||||| KARACHI: Authorities in Karachi have suspended six senior excise officials and six policemen as it begins investigations after 29 drinkers died from consuming methanol-tainted liquor over the Eid public holidays. 
 
 Gayan Chand, the provincial minister for excise, told AFP: “We have begun an inquiry to find out who sold the spirit illegally and we would take further action against those dealers. 
 
 “He confirmed six officials from his department had been suspended, while a police spokesman said six members of the force in Karachi had been suspended for negligence, because the incidents occurred in areas they are supposed to monitor. 
 
 The police spokesman said they had a prime suspect and had filed murder charges against him, but he was still at large late Thursday. 
 
 At least eight more people in Karachi died from alcohol poisoning after consuming homemade liquor over the Eid public holidays, bringing the total to 29 — the highest recorded toll in seven years, a hospital official said Thursday. 
 
 The toll has jumped since the first deaths were reported on Tuesday, with residents of the low-income Landhi and Korangi neighbourhoods of the southern city mainly affected. 
 
 The incidents highlight the proliferation of low-grade liquor in the Islamic country, which officially bars Muslims from drinking. 
 
 “The death toll from toxic liquor has risen to 29, while 24 others were being treated at the hospital,” said Seemi Jamali, a senior doctor and spokeswoman for Karachi's Jinnah Hospital. 
 
 Police have conducted raids at illegal liquor factories, arrested three suspects and seized a quantity of “katchi sharab” (home made liquor), officials said on Wednesday. 
 
 A few days earlier, at least 20 people died in Hyderabad reportedly after consuming toxic liquor. 
 
 Though legal breweries exist in Pakistan, the sale of alcohol and its consumption is prohibited for Muslims and is tightly regulated for minorities and foreigners. 
 
 While higher income Pakistanis buy bootlegged higher grade alcohol at heavily inflated prices, the poor often resort to home-brews that can contain methanol, commonly used in anti-freeze and fuel. 
 
 Consumption of methanol can lead to blindness, liver damage and death. In 2007, 40 people were killed in Karachi after drinking contaminated liquor.
– A bad batch of illegal liquor has killed at least 102 people in villages that fringe Calcutta. Dozens more are critically ill with alcohol poisoning. Traces of highly toxic methanol were found in the victims, who were mostly poor day laborers and rickshaw-pullers who bought the hooch in pouches for some 25 cents a liter, the BBC reports. Authorities demolished makeshift distilleries and bars after the deaths, and pledged to crack down on corrupt cops involved in the illegal liquor trade. "A section of low-ranking policemen may be involved. If we find that our men are in cahoots with those trading in illicit liquor, we will take action against them," a district police officer tells the Calcutta Telegraph. The deaths are the second tragedy to hit the Indian city in the space of a week. At least 91 people were killed in a hospital fire last Friday.