Death toll in hooch tragedy reaches 49

Ghaziabad: The death toll in the hooch tragedy that hit Ghaziabad and Bulandshahr districts has reached 49, officials said here on Sunday.

With the death of two more persons in Ghaziabad and another in Bulandshahr on Saturday, the toll in the district rose to 26.

Meanwhile, Tikku Sharma of Kanaur village, who was arrested by the police in connection with the tragedy, charged police with trapping him in the case, saying all the packets of spurious liquor were recovered from his house.

Today a large crowd staged a protest on national highway 24 in Garhmukteshwar area and demanded Rs 5 lakh as compensation the families of the victims.