Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Three men died this week after drinking suspected tainted alcohol in Longphayimsen village. The tragedy occurred within the Mangkolemba sub-division, near the Assam border. This pushs the total death toll from suspected spurious liquor in Mokokchung to 11. Police reported eight other deaths in the district just last month.
Longtho Police Station received word of the deaths late on October 15. The victims were 50-year-old Chungkai, 24-year-old Samuel, and 36-year-old Bubai Orang. All three were daily wagers from New Sonowal, Jorhat, living temporarily in the village. They shared bottles of McDowell’s rum on the night of October 14. One victim allegedly bought the stash a month ago.
The men suffered from nausea, giddiness, and blurred vision. Chungkai and Samuel died at the local Health and Wellness Centre. Bubai Orang died at the Tsurangkong Primary Health Centre on October 16. Police found no leftover booze at the scene. They sent samples to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Kolkata for testing.
Authorities are still hunting the source. Two separate special police investigations into the Mokokchung and Tuensang deaths remain ongoing. Neither case has reached closure after more than a month of official scrutiny. The Mokokchung police stated, “Relevant exhibits will be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Kolkata, for chemical analysis at the earliest.”
Mokokchung Deputy Commissioner Ajit Kumar Verma reacted on October 17. He invoked the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act of 1989. The order demands village councils watch for illegal booze sales and storage. Officials want immediate medical help for anyone showing signs of poisoning. The order stays in effect until further notice.
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