Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi seeks report on hooch tragedy that claimed 21 lives

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has taken action and sought a report from the state government regarding the hooch tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 people, a government source said on Thursday.

Ravi also wanted to know the details of the seized fake liquor samples and the forensic report on the cause of death.

The governor’s action came after the state police said on Tuesday that methanol, an organic chemical procured from Puducherry, was being used to brew fake liquor illegally, leading to the tragedy.

Of the 21 people who died from drinking liquor in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts earlier this week, 13 were from Ekkiarguppa in Villupuram district bordering Puducherry, while 8 were from Chengalpattu district.

Villupuram police on Wednesday arrested Puducherry-based Yehumalai and Parahatulla for allegedly supplying methanol to local vendors in Tamil Nadu.

The latter had sold 1,200 liters of methanol to Yehumalai and Barhaktullah for Rs 66,000 in the “black market” and a person named Viji was instrumental in transporting it to both places. He has also been arrested.