2 men die after consuming alcohol from state-run bar in Thanjavur

The Thanjavur bar has been sealed and sources said its owner and a worker have been arrested.

Barely a week after more than 20 people died were killed consuming illicit liquor, two men died after allegedly drinking alcohol bought from a bar attached to the state-run Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district Sunday. The police said the deceased have been identified as Vivek, 36, and Kuppusamy, 68.

According to the police, Kuppusamy, a fish vendor, and Vivek, a cab driver, were local residents who consumed the alcohol they bought from the licensed bar at Keela Alangam before it opened for business and fell ill. Both were rushed to the Thanjavur Medical College hospital, where Kuppusamy was declared ‘brought dead’. Vivek, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), failed to respond to the treatment, they added.

Police officials reached the spot following the incident and conducted an inquiry. As fisherfolk gathered in large numbers and began to raise slogans demanding the closure of the bar and justice for the bereaved families, the authorities initiated peace talks. To prevent any untoward incident after incident, the bar was sealed and liquor from there was taken for forensic analysis.

Addressing reporters Sunday, Thanjavur District Collector Dinesh Ponraj said a First Information Report (FIR) was registered and the bodies were sent for post-mortem. “The viscera report revealed that there were no traces of methyl alcohol in the liquor they had consumed, but a mix of cyanide poison is suspected to be present in the alcohol,” added Ponraj.

Thanjavur SP Ashish Rawat said a special team has been formed and they are carrying out an investigation into whether the deaths were suicide or murder. A case has been registered under Section 174 of the CrPC.

According to sources, the bar owner Senthil Palanivel and a worker have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Last week, more than 20 people died in the Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts of the state after consuming illicit alcohol.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed his condolences to the family of the men who died and said he is going to present a memorandum to the Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi in connection with these liquor death incidents in the state.