12 dead after drinking poisonous alcohol

At least 12 people have died after drinking poisonous homemade alcohol in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar.

At least 12 people have died after drinking poisonous alcohol in India.

The victims consumed the liquor on Monday and fell ill the following day, as reported by ABC News. Five others were said to be in hospital being treated for poisoning. Authorities have since confiscated liquor thought to have caused the deaths.

Deaths from drinking illegally brewed alcohol, which is often spiked with chemicals including pesticides to increase potency, are common in India with many unable to afford licensed liquor.

The problem has been compounded further following the introduction of a state ban on alcohol in April as part of a bid to curb alcoholism.

The ban makes it illegal to produce, consume or sell alcohol in the Indian province, and was a key election pledge during Nitish Kumar’s campaign for re-election as chief minister of the state in 2015.

Under the new law, if someone dies from drinking hooch – often homemade – the manufacturers, suppliers and sellers can be sentenced to death.

The law also makes every family member, including children, responsible for the consumption and possession of alcohol in a house, and presumes that all residents must be aware of the offence, until proven otherwise.

In some cases, drinking at home can carry a sentence of 10 years to life in prison, while drinking in public places, illegal trade and transport of alcohol could result in a five to 10-year jail term and a fine of up to £10,000.

So far 11,000 people have been arrested in relation to the making, storing or consuming liquor, while 11 senior police officers have been suspended for not implementing the law.

Earlier this month an entire village was collectively fined 5,000 rupees (£58) after bottles of alcohol were discovered by Indian authorities in Kailashpuri. It was the first case of collective punishment since prohibition came into affect.