Two dead after drinking country liquor in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Two farm labourers died after drinking country liquor in "dry" Gujarat on the occasion of kite-flying festival Uttarayan on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Kanji Jhala, 40, and Vikramsinh Jhala, 37, of Lihoda and Pan Na Muvada villages, respectively, in Dehgam taluka of Gandhinagar district. Police said they were habitual drinkers.

Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said there was no methanol in the liquor samples taken from the deceased persons' houses, and they might have died as they drank alcohol on empty stomach, causing hypoglycemia.

The condition of the duo began to deteriorate soon after drinking the booze, sourced from a local bootlegger named Pratap Jhala. A villager informed Gandhinagar police about the suspected hooch deaths. Vasamsetty said an accidental death case was registered, but seven persons, including Pratap, were rounded up in connection with the FIRs filed. tnn