Kallakurichi hooch tragedy not a sequel to 2023 tragedies in Villupuram and Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu govt. tells Madras High Court

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that the 2024 Kallakurichi hooch tragedy cannot be considered as a sequel to the 2023 hooch tragedies at Marakkanam in Villupuram district and at Chithamur in Chengalpattu district, since the source and quantum of methanol were different

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that the 2024 Kallakurichi hooch tragedy cannot be considered as a sequel to the 2023 hooch tragedies at Marakkanam in Villupuram district and at Chithamur in Chengalpattu district, since the source and quantum of methanol were different.

In a status report filed before the first Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice R. Mahadevan and Mohammed Shaffiq, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said the methanol composition in the samples was detected to be 99.1% in the 2023 incidents whereas in Kallakurchi it was only between 8.6% and 29.7%

Explaining the steps taken by the State government after the 2023 incidents, the Chief Secretary said massive raids were conducted against illicit arrack and spurious liquor across the State leading to the arrest of 159 persons in 2023 and 95 more till May this year. He also listed the action taken against prohibition offences since 2021.

To prevent recurrence of such incidents, all district police teams had been provided with WhatsApp numbers to receive complaints regarding illicit arrack and the action taken by them with respect to the complaints was being reviewed by the Enforcement unit every week.

Industrial units using methanol were being checked diligently to prevent pilferage or diversion for use as arrack and the prohibition enforcement wing had intensified raids to eradicate illicit arrack in the State. Notorirous prohibition offenders were being detained under the Goondas Act, the Chief Secretary said.

Action taken on intelligence inputs from the enforcement wing was being reviewed at the police headquarters every month and massive awareness campaigns were also being conducted in vulnerable areas since most of the illicit arrack consumers were gullibe socio economically backward persons, the officer added.

Mr. Meena said, a call attention motion moved by AIADMK Kallakurichi MLA M. Senthilkumar on March 29, 2023 regarding the sale of spurious liquor was disallowed by the Speaker and hence the matter was neither discussed in Legislative Assembly nor a notice of it was received by the government authorities.