The death toll in the suspected hooch tragedy in Motihari in Bihar’s East Champaran district rose to five on Friday (April 3, 2026) as four more people died, Deputy Inspector General of police (Champaran Range) Har Kishore Rai said.
At least six others are undergoing treatment at a government hospital, while seven people were discharged after initial treatment, police said.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the incident. The incidents took place under the Turkauliya and the Raghunathpur police station areas.
“Based on written complaints submitted by family members of the deceased, several murder cases have been registered at both police stations. Twelve people, including the key conspirators, have so far been arrested,“ according to a police statement.
The arrested include Naga Rai and Shankar Saraiya under the Turkauliya police station and Jammu Baitha under Raghunathpur police station.
The Station House Officer (SHO) of Turkauliya Police Station, Umashankar Manjhi, has been suspended with immediate effect on charges of negligence in the discharge of his official duties, the statement added, stating that Turkauliya village chowkidar Bharat Rai has also been arrested.
The deceased have been identified as Chandu Kumar, Pramod Yadav, Parikshan Manjhi, Hiralal Bhagat and Sampat Saha.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, slammed the State government and said the incident once again has exposed the failure of the NDA government and its prohibition law.
“It is deeply distressing. This is not the first such incident. Since the implementation of prohibition, more than 1,300 people in Bihar have died as a result of consuming spurious liquor,” Mr. Yadav, who is currently in poll-bound Kerala, said in a press statement.
He alleged that the actual death toll was far higher than what the government said, with many more having permanently lost eyesight.
“The fundamental objective of the prohibition law has now been completely derailed. This legislation has effectively become a lucrative method to earn money for certain leaders,” he said.
He alleged that the illegal liquor business is flourishing under the patronage of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—Janata Dal-(United) alliance, a nexus between corrupt officials and liquor mafia.
Mr. Yadav further claimed that spurious liquor is being manufactured openly and sold rampantly—often with the active collusion of the police—and even delivered directly to people’s doorsteps.
“All of this is happening under the government’s nose, and it is the poor and common people of Bihar who are paying the price with their lives,”Mr. Yadav said.
Published – April 03, 2026 03:07 pm IST
