Authorities have launched an investigation after at least seven people died in Lofandi village, Bilaspur district, over the past four days. The opposition Congress party has blamed the deaths on spurious liquor, while local officials are still determining the exact cause.
Probe Launched After Sudden Deaths
According to officials, a team of administration and police personnel visited the village after reports of multiple deaths surfaced. Villagers informed them that some locals had died in the last four to five days, while a few others had been hospitalized with similar symptoms.
The deceased include Devkumar Patel (45) and Shatrughan Dewangan (40), who died on February 5. Patel’s death was initially attributed to a snakebite, as per his son’s statement. Five more villagers—Ramuram Sunhale (59), Komal Prasad Lahare (56), Kanhaiya Lal Patel (60), Baldev Patel (52), and Kunnu Devangan (35)—passed away between February 7 and 8. One of them, Baldev Patel, died at a private hospital where his death certificate listed cardio-respiratory failure as the cause.
The villagers had already conducted the final rites of most of the deceased before officials could intervene, except for Sunhale, whose body was sent for a post-mortem at the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS) in Bilaspur.
Uncertain Cause of Death
The preliminary autopsy report has not determined a specific cause of death. Authorities are awaiting further analysis, including viscera, histopathology, and blood reports, to confirm the reason behind the fatalities.
Villagers mentioned that a marriage ceremony took place in Lofandi between February 3 and 6, where attendees participated in a community feast. Some also consumed fish caught from a nearby river on February 6.
Those who died reportedly suffered from abdominal pain, vomiting, and dizziness before their deaths. Some of them were already ill, according to the official statement. In response, the Health and Food Safety departments have set up a special health camp in the village and are conducting door-to-door medical surveys.
Sarpanch Denies Feast Link, Mentions Alcohol Addiction
Lofandi’s village head, Ramadhar Sunhale, dismissed any connection between the deaths and the marriage feast. He stated that all those who died were heavy alcohol consumers.
“Nine people have died in the last three to four days. They were all addicted to liquor and used to consume country-made alcohol from different sources,” he said.
Ramadhar, whose elder brother Ramuram Sunhale was among the deceased, noted that his sibling regularly consumed alcohol while eating very little food. “He was often unwell due to his drinking habits,” he added.
Congress Alleges BJP’s Negligence
The opposition Congress party has accused the ruling BJP government of allowing the illegal sale of spurious liquor, which they claim is responsible for the deaths.
“Eight people have died in Lofandi, and some others are critically ill after consuming illegal spurious alcohol. The Vishnu Deo Sai government and BJP are responsible for these deaths,” said Sushil Anand Shukla, Congress’ state communication wing head.
Sources By Agencies
