Patna: Consumption of surgical spirit is suspected to have killed three persons in Begusarai and a fourth death, of a JDU leader who switched to the Sharad Yadav faction months ago, is also feared.

Neighbours said the four - Manoj Paswan (the former JDU leader), Pradeep Paswan, Sunil Raut and Sonu Sinha, all aged between 30 and 40 and residents of Pohariya locality of Begusarai town, around 125km east of Patna - had taken up "consuming spirit" after prohibition. Surgical spirit is predominantly methyl alcohol.

Manoj's body has not yet been found.

"Three persons have died," said Begusarai district magistrate Rahul Kumar. "Two of them were cremated before the police could recover their bodies. One body (of Sonu Sinha) was recovered and sent for post-mortem, but he was an alcoholic and was undergoing treatment for liver related diseases at a local hospital."

The DM said empty bottles of surgical spirit have been recovered from the places frequented by the deceased.