In a major setback for the DMK government, Madras High Court on Wednesday entrusted to the CBI, the probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed 68 lives in July this year.

The Second Division Bench of Justices D Krishnakumar and PB Balaji, passing orders on a batch of writ petitions, held that it was a fit case to be transferred to the CBI since more than 60 people have lost their lives. Directing the CBI to complete the investigation expeditiously, the Bench ordered the CB-CID of the state police to handover the case file and extend cooperation.

The petitioners, belonging to the opposition AIADMK, Pattali Makkal Katchi, DMDK and BJP, submitted that hooch tragedies have been recurring as the investigation by the CB-CID was not deterrent enough to contain the menace. They argued that the state machinery had failed to tackle the manufacture and consumption of spurious liquor. Further, the government transferring the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police immediately after the tragedy indicated that things are not correct.

Countering them, Advocate General PS Raman questioned the need for a CBI probe at this stage when the CB-CID had arrested 24 persons and was ready to file the charge sheet. The court could transfer the probe to the CBI only if there is any prima facie material to suspect a nexus between the offenders and politicians and officers, he contended, adding there was none. The AG also informed the court that the Chief Minister had appointed a one man commission, headed by retired Justice B Gokuldas to recommend appropriate measures to wipe out illicit arrack.

Justice Balaji, in his separate but concurring judgment, observed that the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy should serve as a wake-up call. How the sale of spurious liquor could have gone unnoticed by the state police is bewildering, he said adding that the sale appeared to have been happening right under the local police who turned a blind eye.

The victims of the hooch tragedy were mostly dalits besides others from marginalised groups, who were daily wagers. The State Government had given a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families each victim.
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