HYDERABAD, Nov 16: Sixteen persons died after drinking poisonous liquor in different parts of the city since Saturday. However, no FIR has been registered till the filing of this report.

The District Police Officer has formed an investigation team which has detained four persons, including three paint shop owners from Bohri Bazaar, who are believed to have sold the spirit. Two drums of the spirit, containing 200 litres each, have also been seized.

The Taluka Police Officer said that despite knowing that the buyers would use the spirit as liquor, the shopkeepers had sold it on exorbitant rates.

Poisonous liquor claims 16 lives in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD, Nov 16: Sixteen persons died after drinking poisonous liquor in different parts of the city since Saturday and two have been admitted to a hospital in serious condition.

No FIR has been registered till the filing of this report.

Six persons died on the eve of Eidul Fitr in the areas of Tando Yousuf, Sakhi Pir and Market police stations.

They were identified as Chand, Shahnawaz Samo, Phulwa, Jay Ram and two residents of Gujrati Muhalla, Abdul Qayum and Abdul Jabbar.

Sakhi Pir SHO Manoj Bhatiaclaimed that a councillor of the area, Rasheed Samoo, had informed him, quoting his deceased relative Shahnawaz, that they had bought spirit from Hera Lal of Silawat Para.

Abdul Ghaffar and Punhoon, son of Lal Chand, died in Civil Hospital late Sunday night, where they were brought in serious condition. Ghaffar was said to be resident of Paretabad.

Five others lost their lives on Tuesday. They were identified as Mushtaq, 30, son of Bholo; Abid, son of Haji Abdul Rasheed; Akhlas, 30, son of Shamsuddin; Fayaz Ahmed, 70, and Saeed, son of Abdul Shakoor Qureshi.

Belonging to the Qureshi community, they were relatives of each other and resident of North Amil Colony.

Abdul Khalil, son of Abdul Shakoor, resident of the Khata Chowk area near Karimi mosque, died on Tuesday evening.

He was taken to a private hospital where he had blood vomiting and subsequently died.

He was released from a prison on Saturday after serving 18 months in jail in a Hudood case.

Two others, Rehan and Ishaq, were hospitalised but Rehan died on Tuesday evening.

The police have confirmed death of nine people in the areas of the Sakhi Pir and Market police.

On the occasion of Eid and Diwali, liquor was sold in the city at licensed outlets and also at illegal channels with the knowledge of the police.

DPO A.D. Khawaja told this correspondent that he had formed a team, headed by Additional DPO Afzal Butt and comprising City ASP Khurram Shahzad Waraich and Phuleli TPO Qamar Raza Jiskani to investigate into the matter and submit report within two days.

The team is reported to have detained four persons including three shop owners from Bohri Bazaar, who were believed to have sold spirit on exorbitant rates.

TPO Qamar said that the owners of Afzal and Western paint houses and Fakhri Traders had been detained besides those who had bought spirit.

Some of the detainees were identified as Hera Lal, Irfan and Amir.

Two drums of spirit, containing 200 litres each, had also been seized.

The TPO said that despite knowing that the buyers would use spirit as liquor, the shopkeepers sold it on exorbitant rates.

He said that one litre of spirit was usually sold for Rs45 but the same was sold for Rs200 on the eve of Eid.

He claimed that one Ratan had also died due to intake of spirit.