Four people died while three more took ill after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in a village police said on Sunday.
Following the incident, the excise department suspended four officials, including the district excise officer.
Senior police official, Chitrakoot Dham (range), K Satya Narayan said a sub-inspector and a constable have been suspended on charges of laxity following the incident, and action is being initiated against the station house officer of Rajapur.
"A person of Khopa village died after consuming liquor on Saturday evening, while another died at a private hospital," he said. The officer said four people, who were in serious condition, were referred to Allahabad for treatment, but two of them died on the way.
"Till now four people have died," Satya Narayan added, adidng two people were undergoing treatment in Allahabad and a former village pradhan has also been hospitalised.
Upon preliminary inquiry, it has come to light that the victims consumed countrymade liquor on Saturday, after which they fell sick, Satya Narayan said.
There is no liquor sale outlet in the village, and the booze was brought from a shop located almost 15 kilometres away, Satya Narayan said, adding the person who sold the liquor has been taken into custody and was being interrogated.
Meanwhile, in a statement by the Excise department in Lucknow, Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay R Bhoosreddy said, "District excise officer of Chitrakoot Chatar Sen, excise inspector Ashraf Ali Siddiqui, head constable of excise department Sushil Kumar Pandey and constable of excise department Sandeep Kumar Mishra have been suspended on charges of laxity."
"Departmental action has been initiated against them," he said.
