Death toll from toxic liquor in TMK climbs to 55

• No arrests made as relatives of victims hold police, excise officials, politicians responsible for deaths

Death toll from toxic liquor in Kareemabad area of Tando Muhammad Khan rose to 55 on Wednesday, while at least two dozen others were fighting for life in different hospitals, including Civil Hospital Hyderabad.

Dozens of people were rushed to local hospitals on the night between Monday and Tuesday after they consumed poisonous moonshine produced at an illegal distillery in Kareemabad area.

Reportedly, the distillery is being run under the patronage of officials of the Excise and Taxation Department, police officials and local politicians.

The Sindh Police chief has already transferred SSP Shamim Ara Panhwar, DSP Khalid Rustamani and SHO Bux Behrani and appointed Muhammad Khan Zaoor as the new SHO. However, no action was taken until the filing of this report.

The heirs of the victims staged protests demonstrations and alleged that the Excise and Taxation Department and police and influential politicians were directly responsible for the deaths as illegal distilleries were being run under their patronage.

They also called on Excise and Taxation Minister Gayan Chand to accept the moral responsibility and tender his resignation.

The bodies of the victims, including Papu, Moti, Shafi, Rano, Allahdino, Kanji, Shabana, Bano, Allahno Mallah, Bharo, Narjee, Natho, Ali Akbar, Parto, Faqeero, Kanji, Raman, Bhariyo, Jay Ram, Bheem, Bux Ali, Dawiri, Babu, Reshman, Nurseng, Laljee and Bhoro, were handed over to the heirs after postmortems. Majority of the victims belonged to the scheduled caste.

Nevertheless, Sindh Minister Gayan Chand has suspended all the staff of local excise and taxation office and ordered a probe into the incident.

A case has been lodged against accused Ali Nawaz Panhwar, Hakim Ali Panhwar, Abdul Rahman Panhwar, Shaukat and three others. However, no arrest was made until the filing of this report.

Nevertheless, former SHO of Tando Muhammad Khan, Notak Khan Baloch told media that many distilleries were covertly owned by politicians and police regularly got extortion from them.

He said he was transferred from Tando Muhammad Khan because he was raiding these illegal distilleries and closing them down. He said the vested political interests did not like this and got him transferred.

He said the illegal distillery in Kareemabad locality used to pay the police Rs 80,000 every week.

Meanwhile, angry people burnt down the illegal distillery of Kareemabad locality, as well as, the house of the owner of the distillery. However, the police are raiding different localities of the town to arrest the nominated accused.