SC to hear on January 9 plea seeking SIT probe into Bihar hooch tragedy
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court said on Tuesday a petition seeking an independent probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the last month's hooch tragedy in Bihar which claimed many lives will be heard on January 9.
The plea about the tragedy in Saran district, where at least 30 people lost their lives after consuming illicit liquor, has also sought a direction to the state government to adequately compensate the victim families.
The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha.
"It will come up next Monday," the bench told advocate Pawan Prakash Pathak who mentioned the matter.
Bihar's Nitish Kumar government imposed a complete prohibition in April 2016 and has rejected the demand for compensation to the families of those who died after consuming spurious liquor.
The petition, filed in the apex court by Bihar-based Aryavarta Mahasabha Foundation, has arrayed the Centre and the state of Bihar as respondents.
It has said a multi-pronged plan is needed to prevent the sale and consumption of toxic alcohol.
The plea has also sought a direction for chalking out a national action plan to curb manufacture and trade of illicit liquor.
It said the hooch tragedy in Bihar on December 14 last year has "caused a furore" in the country.
"With political parties training their guns on each other, as many as 40 people have died so far after consuming spurious liquor, while others have been hospitalised and there is no official report on the incident," the petition claimed.
It said this is not the first time that India has reported an incident of people dying after consuming spurious liquor and similar cases were reported from various states, including Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka, in recent years.
"Hooch is a kind of liquor which is cheap, brewed in small unregulated shanties and does not attract excise tax. This inferior quality drink is usually made after mixing chemicals with water, which is then consumed by people," it said.
The plea said it is more commonly sold in states that have imposed a full ban on liquor.
It said currently four states -- Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland and Mizoram -- have laws that prohibit the sale of alcohol and the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 was enacted to enforce a complete prohibition.
"Under the Act, manufacturing, bottling, distribution, transportation, collection, storage, possession, purchase, sale or consumption of any intoxicant or liquor is prohibited. From 2018 to 2020, over 45,000 FIRs were registered under the Act every year," it says.
The petition recalled in February last year the apex court had observed that trial courts in Bihar and the Patna High Court are being crowded by bail applications in matters under the 2016 Act.
It said ever since the Bihar government prohibited liquor sale in the state in 2016, it has invited scathing criticism for its substantial failure to enforce the ban and for several adverse consequences that the move has thrust on the people there.
"What is not implementable may not be operationalised despite the nobility of the cause. Bihar has failed to apply this simple test in the present instance," it said.
The plea further said recently, a question was raised on the issue in the Lok Sabha but no effective steps are being taken to curb the menace of the liquor mafia and cartels running the show.
It said, according to the Lok Sabha data released on July 19 last year, five states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, reported the maximum number of deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor between 2016 and 2020.
"According to the data, India reported over 6,000 deaths in five years between 2016 and 2020 due to the consumption of spurious liquor. India logged the lowest number of deaths in 2020 with 947," it said.
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Riyan Parag likely to be fined 25 percent of match fees for vaping inside dressing room
New Delhi (PTI): Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is set to be fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into "disrepute" after being caught vaping on camera during the IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
Parag's actions during the Royals' chase on Tuesday night drew condemnation on social media.
PTI has learned that on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.
The Level 1 offences carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point.
"He is set to be fined a portion of his match fees and a demerit point for a Level 1 offence," said an IPL source.
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
"Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20," the IPL Code of Conduct states.
"By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
"When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental, shall be considered.
"Further, the person lodging the Report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lays (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature (and hence a Level 1 Offence) up to conduct of an extremely serious nature (and hence a Level 4 Offence)."
Since it is a Level 1 offence there was no need for a hearing.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings. Royals won the game to end Kings' unbeaten run in the tournament.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
Royals next host Delhi Capitals at home on Friday night.
