Hyderabad, Sep 8 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government will table in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday the final report of the one-member commission that investigated the Kallakurichi illicit liquor tragedy, one of the State’s deadliest incidents of methanol poisoning.
The commission, headed by retired Madras High Court Judge B. Gokuldas, was constituted by the previous DMK government soon after the deaths were reported on June 19 and 20, 2024.
It was asked to determine the circumstances behind the disaster, examine lapses by enforcement agencies and recommend measures to prevent the manufacture and sale of illicit liquor.
The report, to be presented by the TVK government, is expected to provide a detailed account of the supply chain through which industrial methanol reached bootleggers, the manner in which the toxic brew was prepared and distributed, and the response of the police, revenue, prohibition and excise authorities.
It is also expected to contain recommendations for strengthening surveillance, regulating the movement of methanol, dismantling illicit liquor networks and fixing responsibility on officials whose negligence may have allowed the illegal trade to flourish.
The tragedy unfolded in and around Karunapuram in Kallakurichi after residents consumed illicit arrack contaminated with methanol. Victims developed vomiting, abdominal pain, breathing difficulty and impaired vision, prompting an emergency medical response. Patients were treated at hospitals in Kallakurichi, Salem, Villupuram and Puducherry.
The official death toll eventually reached 67, while 145 patients survived after receiving treatment and were discharged.
Many victims were daily-wage workers from economically disadvantaged families, turning the incident into a major political and humanitarian crisis. The government announced compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each bereaved family and assistance for children orphaned by the tragedy.
The investigation was initially transferred from the local police to the Crime Branch-CID. Four alleged sellers were arrested during the first phase, while officials seized about 200 litres of methanol-laced liquor.
Investigators subsequently arrested suspected methanol supplier Sivakumar of Red Hills, who was traced to MGR Nagar in Chennai.
Others accused of procuring, transporting, preparing and distributing the toxic liquor were also taken into custody, taking the total number of accused to 24.
The district Collector was transferred, while action was initiated against police and prohibition-enforcement personnel.
The Madras High Court later ordered a CBI investigation in November 2024. The commission’s findings are expected to provide the basis for further legislative scrutiny of the tragedy and official accountability.
–IANS
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