The Gaya district administration has ordered an inquiry into the mysterious death of two members of a family in Chakarbandha village of the Sherghati sub-division of the district on Tuesday.
The third family member has been admitted to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH), where his condition is stated to be critical.
Yogendra Bharti (32) and Umesh Bharti (14) died after complaining of severe stomach pain, vomiting and loss of eyesight after having their meal at the village feast on Monday night. Shambhu Bharti, (50), the father of Umesh, was hospitalised with similar complaints on Tuesday.
Residents claimed that the duo died after consuming spurious liquor at a feast organised to celebrate the birth of a child in the family.
Gaya district magistrate Kumar Ravi said district excise officer Vikas Kumar Sinha had been entrusted with the task of conducting a detailed inquiry into the circumstances that led to the deaths in Chakarbandha village, around 95km south of Gaya district headquarters. The family had organised a feast of meat and puri were served to invitees.
Yogendra died on the spot, while Umesh breathed his last on way to hospital. Shambhu is struggling for life in the ANMCH emergency ward. "The doctors have been told to closely observe the condition of Shambhu, who lost his minor son in the tragedy," the DM told The Telegraph over phone from Gaya.
Sherghati sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Nand Kishore Rajak said the station house officer (SHO) of Dumaria police station under whose jurisdiction the village falls, has been asked to visit the spot and probe into the matter. "The report of the SHO is awaited," he said and added that prima facie, it appeared a suspected case of food poisoning and not hooch as claimed by some residents.
The state came under total prohibition on April 5 this year. Under the new excise law, both manufacture and sale of liquor have been made an offence.
DM Kumar Ravi earlier said the family of the victims had been persuaded to allow doctors to conduct post-mortem of the bodies. He said the family had opposed to the post-mortem initially.
