BJP seeks judicial probe into Borigaon liquor tragedy

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury

Bhubaneswar, Sep 4:

Accusing the state government of suppressing the liquor tragedy in which two persons lost their lives and about 25 more affected after consuming spurious liquor at Borigaon village in Khurdha district, the state BJP today sought the intervention of Governor SC Jamir to direct the government to appoint a judicial commission to unearth the involvement of the political leaders and other officials in the tragedy.

“While at least two people died and several more were taken ill in the liquor tragedy, there was apprehension that it would be suppressed as the local MLA, who belongs to the ruling party, is a big liquor merchant of the state. So, there should be an inquiry by a retired judge of High Court to find out the involvement of the political leader and give justice and compensation to the affected families,” said senior BJP leader and former minister Biswa Bhusan Harichandan, who submitted a memorandum to Governor in this regard here today.

Harichandan alleged that while a delegation of BJP and another delegation of Congress visited the village to find out the truth behind the tragedy, they found that the villagers were being threatened by local leaders of the ruling party at the instance of the concerned MLA.

“The affected families were asked by them not to lodge any FIR and local police had also been managed. It was alleged that such heinous crime was going to be suppressed by the government as its party leaders were involved in the incident,” said Harichandan in the memorandum lamenting that the government was yet to conduct any inquiry apprehending that the role of the local MLA and the other party leaders in the case would be exposed.