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New Delhi:  The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of media report that at village  Pusaina in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh out of 300 families, 150 have widows in 25-65 year age group whose husbands died after consuming spurious liquor in the last 15 years. Around 10,000 to 12,000 litres of liquor is manufactured and sold in the area every day despite police claiming to have cracked down on the illegal trade. The villagers are hesitant to say anything due to fear of the liquor mafia.

The NHRC has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, indicate failure on part of the authorities concerned for not taking lawful action against the culprits. Accordingly, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh, calling for a detailed report in the matter within four weeks. The report should be comprehensive covering the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the state agencies along with status of benefits provided to the aggrieved families.

The Commission has further observed that apparently no strict action has been taken by the police authorities and the administration to curb the menace. Recently, about 100 people died in a hooch tragedy in Saharanpur and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh and Haridwar district of Uttarakhand. As per media reports, the hooch was suspected to be made in the villages that fall near Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh border.

According to the media report carried today on February 18, 2019, at village Pusaina there are families, which have lost more than one male member. The noxious alcoholic concoction, that sometimes comes mixed with deadly urea, battery fluid and chemicals, for an instant and extra high, is the main cause of deaths in such a large number.

It is mentioned in the news report that when the correspondent of the newspaper reached the village, one of the women said that if we speak to you, tomorrow we will have to face the consequences. This woman, aged 45 years, had lost her husband and also four children between 18 to 24 years to hooch, a few years ago.

As mentioned in the news report, SP, Mainpuri, has stated that they have been making sincere efforts to destroy the illegal business in the district and have seized property worth Rs 11 crore from some of the kingpins of the liquor mafia and police parties are also conducting raids to destroy the network., according to an NHRC release

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