A pall of gloom descended on Karunapuram locality in Kallakurichi town, 244 km from Chennai, from where 29 of the 38 deceased of a hooch tragedy hailed.

With the condition of 24 others, who are undergoing treatment in hospitals remaining critical, the toll is expected to go up. The victims, including two women and a transgender, and those hospitalised had consumed spurious liquor, since Tuesday while the first three deaths were reported on Wednesday.

As the massive toll rocked the state Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday ordered a judicial inquiry headed by a retired high court judge, B Gokuldas, besides entrusting the probe to the CB-CID police.

While Kallakurichi District Collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath has been transferred, Police Superintendent Samay Singh Meena was suspended along with a host of police personnel, including two DySPs with the Prohibition and Enforcement wing.

The chief minister has also announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those undergoing treatment.

Most of the victims and those battling for life at hospitals are daily wagers. Some of them had consumed the illicit liquor while attending the funeral of a relative. All of them complained of diarrhea, burning sensation in the stomach, and loss of vision and were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Kallakurichi and many of them were shortly referred to JIPMER, Puducherry, Salem Government General Hospital and Villupuram Government Medical College Hospital at Mundiyambakkam.

According to officials, 24 of those who had consumed the illicit arrack and are hospitalised are in critical condition.

Even as Tamil Nadu Highways Minister EV Velu and Health Minister Ma Subramanian are camping at Kallakurichi to monitor the situation, the Sports Minister and the Chief Minister’s son, Udhayanidhi, rushed to Kallakurichi.

After visiting the families of the victims and handing over the solatium, he visited those being treated at the hospital.

Health Minister Subramanian told the media that the CB-CID had started its investigation into the tragedy. The prime accused in the case, Govindaraj alias Kannukutty, his wife Vijaya, and brother Dhamodharan have been arrested while 10 others are being questioned in connection with the sale of spurious arrack.

The Opposition parties have cornered the DMK Government on the issue. After paying homage to the victims and visiting those in Kallakurichi hospital, AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded the resignation of Chief Minister MK Stalin. He said he should step down owning moral responsibility for the deaths.

He also alleged a connection between local DMK functionaries and the liquor mafia. The AIADMK had also moved Madras High Court seeking a CBI probe into the hooch tragedy which is expected to come up for hearing on Friday (tomorrow).

Squarely blaming the Stalin Government for the tragedy, Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai announced a solatium of Rs one lakh each to the families of the deceased and said the party would hold a statewide protest on Saturday to condemn the DMK government for failing to curb illicit arrack.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) of filmmaker Seeman, actor Vijay who had floated the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam condemned the DMK Government for being lax on the flow of illicit liquor.