Moonshine kills six in Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD - Six people were killed and seven others fell critically ill after drinking moonshine in this district adjacent to the national capital, police said Saturday.

According to police, a few residents of Kinor village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad district held an early Holi celebration Friday by drinking liquor bought from a dhaba on Garh-Siyana road. After half an hour some of them fell unconscious while some others started foaming at their mouths.

They were rushed to hospital.

“This (Saturday) morning we were told that six people had died and seven are critical. The deceased have been identified as Mahendra, 35, Surat Singh, 60, Mahendra alias Chhotalla, 40, Jitendra, 35, Ajay, 30 and Jaivira, 20,” Superintendent of Police M.M. Beg said.

“We have seized five drums of an unidentified chemical for forensic test. Chhatra Pal, who supplied the chemical, is absconding. A complaint has been lodged in Bahadurgarh police station,” said Harjit Singh, deputy commissioner in the state excise department.