Chhapra Hooch tragedy: The death toll in Bihar’s Chhapra Hooch tragedy has risen to 53, with 11 more people dying after drinking tainted liquor in Saran district.

On the recommendation of Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer Yogendra Kumar, Masrakh Station House Officer (SHO) Ritesh Mishra and Constable Vikesh Tiwari were suspended immediately following the Tuesday night tragedy. The majority of the deaths occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, causing outrage both at the state and national levels, as the Nitish Kumar government has banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in Bihar since April 2016.

Nitish Kumar’s former ally, the BJP, has come down hard on him, with MPs from the state raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. When asked about the Chhapra Hooch tragedy, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar informed media on Thursday that “if someone consumes liquor, they will die,” which angered victim families and others.

“Several people have benefited from the liquor ban. Many people have abstained from alcohol… This is excellent. This has been happily accepted by a number of people. However, there are some saboteurs. I’ve directed officers to identify and apprehend the actual troublemakers,” he informed the media.

Sunil Kumar, the Excise Minister of Bihar, has also promised harsh punishment for those responsible for the deaths. “The process of filing a FIR is currently underway. I spoke with SP over the phone “Sunil Kumar said on Wednesday.

The opposition attacked the Bihar Chief Minister in the state assembly hours after the first few deaths were reported from Chhapra, causing Kumar to lose his cool and scream back at the BJP leaders.

The Chhapra Hooch tragedy was one of the issues raised in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, prompting the House to adjourn three times in 40 minutes as both the Treasury benches and the opposition raised their concerns at the start of the Zero Hour.