Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: T.N. Law Minister rules out CBI inquiry

Tamil Nadu Law Minister rejects CBI inquiry into Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, AIADMK and PMK demand investigation.

Tamil Nadu Law Minister S. Regupathy, on Friday, June 22, 2024, said there was no need for a CBI inquiry into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy since the State government was acting in a transparent manner and had not suppressed anything.

Both the AIADMK, which is the principal Opposition party, and the PMK, have demanded a CBI inquiry into the tragedy that has killed at least 54 persons.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr. Regupathy said a CBI inquiry had not been ordered into similar incidents in the past. Asked why then, had the DMK a CBI inquiry into the deaths of two persons due to custodial violence in Sattankulam in 2020, Mr Regupathy replied that his party had pressed for it since then Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanswami had sought to cover up the incident

“Mr Palaniswami claimed that Benicks [one of the victims] choked to death, while [the other victim] Jayaraj died of physical ailments. That was why we demanded a CBI inquiry. But our Chief Minister has not suppressed anything,” Mr Regupathy said.

To a question as to why the government had failed to control the illicit brewing of liquor prevalent in many parts of the State, the Minister’s response was that the government had arrested a lot of people under the Goondas Act. “Go and see for yourself the records in courts. We have filed a lot of cases,” he said.

When told that the hooch in Kallakurichi was being sold near the court and police station, the Minister said that methanol had been brought in secretly, and laced with liquor.

Mr Regupathy said the aim of the AIADMK and its leader Mr. Palaniswami had been to disrupt the Legislative Assembly proceedings since their party had been defeated in all 40 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. He said there was no provision to adjourn the Question Hour to discuss an incident as demanded by the AIADMK. He added that there was no truth in Mr Palaniswami’s allegation that he was not allowed to speak in the House.