Four people have died after consuming spurious alcohol in Ekkiyarkuppam in Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu while twelve others remain hospitalised. According to the district Superintendent of Police, the victims drank country liquor made and sold in their fishing hamlet of Ekkiyarkuppam. Three of the deceased have been identified as Suresh (65), Shankar (50) and Dharanivel (50) who passed away on the evening of May 13. A fourth person, Rajamurthy (55) died on Sunday morning in hospital. 

The liquor brewer who operates at the nearby Marakkanam beach has been identified as one Amaran (25). Reports said that at least six people who consumed the liquor fainted once they reached home. They were rushed to various hospitals in the vicinity but three of them died the same day after failing to respond to the treatment. 

After this incident, the Villupuram Superintendent of Police (SP) Shreenatha inspected the village along with a team of police officers. The team of police officers searched for people who consumed spurious liquor and admitted those who were affected to the hospitals. According to reports, residents of Ekkiyarkuppam have alleged that the police and local politicians have been supporting the sale of spurious alcohol. 

Politicians from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) slammed the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam over the incident. According to NDTV, former Chief Minister and General Secretary of AIADMK Edappadi K Palaniswamy claimed that during their party’s ten year rule, there was no place for illicit liquor and blamed the DMK’s “inefficiency” for the three deaths. PMK founder and party president S Ramadoss called for ending nationalisation of liquor sales and for complete prohibition of the sale of alcohol.