CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that claimed the lives of 68 people.
The tragic incident occurred on June 18 in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district.
A division bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justices D. Krishnakumar and P.B. Balaji, on Wednesday, directed the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) to transfer the case to the central agency.
The court passed the orders while hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by I.S. Inbadurai (AIADMK), K. Balu (PMK), B. Parthasarathy (DMDK), and A. Mohan Dass (BJP).
The petitioners argued that hooch tragedies have become a recurring issue in Tamil Nadu, and the CB-CID investigations in previous cases had failed to serve as a deterrent.
The division bench observed that since more than 60 lives were lost in this incident, the case was fit for a detailed CBI investigation.
Justice Balaji remarked that the Kallakurichi Hooch tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for society to recognise the harmful effects of alcohol abuse.
The court criticised the police for allowing the sale of spurious liquor to go unchecked. The bench noted that the sale of methanol-laced hooch appeared to have taken place right under the nose of the local police, who chose to ignore it.
As a result, the court ruled that the investigation must be transferred from the CB-CID to the CBI for a comprehensive inquiry.
The deaths occurred after residents of Karunapuram -- mostly Dalits and economically disadvantaged daily wage labourers -- consumed methanol-infused liquor sold by a local bootlegger, Govindaraj, alias Kannukutty, on the night of June 18.
In July, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed in the tragedy. He also assured that the government would bear the education and hostel expenses of children who lost their parents. Additionally, Rs 5 lakh was deposited into the accounts of children who lost both parents in the incident.