Gopalganj/Patna, Aug. 18: Heads have started rolling in the Gopalganj hooch tragedy, which has so far claimed the lives of 16 people, mostly belonging to the economically backward sections of society.

Gopalganj district superintendent of police Raviranjan on Thursday suspended 15 police personnel, including station house officer (SHO) of Gopalganj Town police station B.P. Alok on the charges of dereliction of duty.

The SP said departmental proceedings will also be initiated against cops, who failed to check brewing of country liquor in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the town police station. "More disciplinary action is likely to be initiated in the incident," he said.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the tragedy went up to 16 with two more deaths reported from Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Thursday. Seven others are still struggling for their life at PMCH and a government hospital at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Gopalganj district magistrate Rahul Kumar confirmed the two deaths at the PMCH today and said the toll has gone up to 16. Fourteen persons had died till yesterday. The number may increase as the condition of one of the three victims undergoing treatment at Gorakhpur was stated to be critical.

Saran divisional commissioner Narmadeshwar Lal and inspector-general (Tirhut zone) Sunil Kumar visited Gopalganj late on Wednesday night to take stock of the situation.

The divisional commissioner had to face the wrath of some residents when he visited the Sadar hospital.

The divisional commissioner accompanied by deputy inspector-general (Saran range) A.K. Rai and other district police and administrative officials visited Khajurbani locality around 1.30am. Most of the victims had fallen sick after consuming spurious liquor in the same locality on August 15 evening.

"The commissioner along with other officials visited the area in the small hours of Thursday. He talked to residents about illicit liquor brewing in the locality," said 70-year-old Dhanjota Devi, whose repeated request to local authorities to stop liquor brewing had fallen on deaf ears.

The police arrested two more persons from the area during the raid and seized around 300 litres of country liquor. "The raids will continue," Gopalganj SP Raviranjan said.

The relatives of the victims, however, accused the local officials with downplaying the tragedy, the first of its kind after promulgation of total prohibition in the state on April 5.

Sitaram Manjhi, 70, a neighbour of Ramaji Sharma, who died on Tuesday night after consuming spurious liquor, alleged that the local police officials had asked one of the three sons of Sharma to flee with the body from the Sadar hospital else they would land in trouble.

Sharma's son took the body to the house located at Harkhua village, around 2 km from the hospital for funeral. However, around midnight, a team of police officials visited Sharma's house and took the body for post mortem. The body was handed over to the family the next day for last rites.

One Shambhu Ram, a resident of Shyam Cinema Road, however, defied death. "I am thankful to the Almighty that I could consume only two glasses of alcohol on the fateful day," Ram said. He was admitted to the Gopalganj Sadar hospital after he complained of nausea and stomach ache on August 15.

The families of the four patients, who have been admitted to the PMCH, confirmed to The Telegraph that all the four patients had consumed liquor. Of the six patients, who were brought to the PMCH on Wednesday, only four have survived and are undergoing treatment in the medical intensive care unit of the hospital.

The two patients, who died on Wednesday while undergoing treatment, have been identified as Nasir and Munna Kumar (both aged about 25).

15-year old Puja Kumari, daughter of Bandhu Ram (45), one of the four patients, revealed that her father had consumed liquor on August 15 after which he developed various health problems.

"My father told me that he went to the liquor shop on August 15 after one of his friends told him about its whereabouts. He told me that he did not know about that liquor shop from earlier. As he was exhausted after day's work, he felt like taking a peg and so he went there. After returning from the liquor shop, he had breathing problems in the night. Next day, he had partial loss of vision. We took our father to a private hospital which released him after few hours of treatment. Yesterday (on August 17), my father developed complete loss of vision after which we took him to Gopalganj Sadar Hospital. The hospital said the case was serious, so they referred it to PMCH," said Puja, who claimed his father had consumed one glass indigenous liquor.

Upendra Ram, brother-in-law of Bandhu Ram, also corroborated Puja's statement.