In the wake of the illicit liquor tragedy in Kallakurichi, the Tamil Nadu government, on Saturday, June 29, passed a bill amending the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Act, 1937, enhancing the punishment term and quantum of fine for manufacturing, possessing and selling illicit liquor that endangers lives.

According to the Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 2024, if a person dies after consuming illicit liquor, the punishment for those involved in it would be rigorous imprisonment for life, along with at least Rs 10 lakh fine. While tabling the bill, Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy, in the statement of objects and reasons for the bill stated that the punishments provided in the 1937 act was not sufficient to deter the crimes and have to be increased.

The amendment would increase the term of imprisonment and quantum of fine for the offences under sections 4 (Prohibition of the manufacture of, traffic in, and consumption of liquor and intoxicating drugs),5 (Punishment for rendering or attempting to render denatured spirit fit for human consumption), 6 (Prohibition of advertisement), 7 (Punishment for conspiracy) and 11 (Punishment for offences not otherwise provided for) of the Act.

The bill also proposes to empower the executive magistrate to order those involved in such crimes to execute a bond with sureties of an amount that would deter them from being involved in such activities and also provides a way for the police officer to seek the removal of a person from an area, if they commit certain offences.

The move comes almost a week after the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy, in which at least 63 persons have died so far. The issue started on June 18 when several individuals from Karunapuram village in Kallakurichi began showing extreme symptoms of abdominal and chest pain, blurred vision, nausea and fainting spells. It was later found that all of them were suffering from methanol poisoning from the illicit arrack they consumed. The death rose rapidly overnight from seven victims to 34. The three main accused Kannukuty (a) Govindaraj, his wife Vijaya and his brother Dhamodharan were all arrested on June 23 and remanded to judicial custody. The methanol supplier, a man identified as Sivakumar from Chennai was also arrested on the same day by the CB-CID.

On June 26, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought a detailed report from the chief secretary and the state police within a week.