After four men died from consuming spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced Rs 10 lakh to each of the families of the deceased. 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 Saturday, May 13. A fourth person, Rajamurthy (55), died on Sunday morning in the hospital. Twelve others remain hospitalised.
The CM also announced a compensation of Rs 50,000 each to the 12 people who have been hospitalised. Further, state Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy, who is also the MLA from Thirukoilur in Villupuram district, met the families of the deceased and the hospitalised victims on Sunday. Speaking to the media at the time, Ponmudy said, “It is undeniable that this a deeply saddening incident. All of you are aware of the kind of measures the chief minister has taken to stop such incidents from happening. He earlier held a meeting with the police department specifically for the purpose of instructing them to take immediate action against the sale of gutkha, ganja, and illicit liquor. During the meeting he also launched the Drug Free Tamil Nadu scheme [in 2022]. Three days back, the police seized 2800 kg of ganja in Madurai district.”
Ponmudy also responded to the criticism against the state government from Opposition parties regarding the incident. “The Opposition Leader [Edappadi K Palaniswami] is acting as if such incidents are new. All of you know the extent to which gutkha and ganja were sold during his regime.” The minister also referred to the ‘Gutkha Scam’ and said, “The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) currently has a case against former health minister [C Vijayabaskar, AIADMK] in the gutkha case. This is known not only to all media persons such as yourself but also to the people of Tamil Nadu.”
Earlier on Sunday, Edappadi K Palaniswami had claimed that during his party’s 10-year rule there was no place for illicit liquor, and blamed the DMK’s “inefficiency” for the three deaths. Apart from him, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder and party president S Ramadoss called for ending nationalisation of liquor sales and complete prohibition of the sale of alcohol.
During his press meet, Ponmudy also said that Stalin had suspended four police officials in Villupuram district as soon as he heard about the incident. It is to be noted that, according to initial reports, residents of Ekkiyarkuppam alleged that the police and local politicians have been supporting the sale of spurious alcohol.