At least 20 pits, all having liquor bottles buried inside, were dug up by the Gopalgunj police.
A kilometre away from Sadar Hospital in Bihar's Gopalgunj, where 15 people have died in two days after allegedly drinking illicit liquor, Khajurbadi, a settlement of two homes - some huts, some concrete - has emptied out since Wednesday.
The Gopalgunj police raided this area and recovered 300 litres of illicit liquor, wood fire stoves - which are allegedly used for brewing illicit liquor using spirit and chemicals - from six huts. At least 20 pits, all having liquor bottles buried inside, were dug up by the police.
Khajurbadi is located right next to a railway line and is just 500 metres away from the Gopalgunj railway station. To the other side of the settlement is a marsh. Police sources say all those who died were regular visitors to this area for their daily fix of alcohol despite a strict prohibition law in Bihar
Six people were arrested at Khajurbadi on Wednesday; they have been sent to jail.
"Is this enough," asked Vijay Kant, the father of 27-year-old Shashi Kant, a daily wager who died on Thursday at the Sadar Hospital. "We did not know he had gone drinking. He came home on Monday evening and then suddenly he became very ill. The police raided this place only on Wednesday. Where were they for three months that the prohibition law is in force?" he asked.
A post-mortem report has not found any alcohol in the stomachs of those who died but the government says there is nothing to hide. "We will take viscera samples and send them for examination and that will clarify things. Even in this area Khajurbadi we have arrested people earlier. It's difficult to keep a check on everything... this district borders UP but we try our best," said Rahul Kumar, District Magistrate, Gopalgunj.
In the last three months, the Bihar government has enacted a prohibition law that many call draconian. It even includes a community fine option, first imposed on a village in Nalanda a week ago for regular seizures of alcohol. The government also claims thousands of liquor related arrests.
"I know that incidents like this will happen... but it doesn't mean that we will lift the ban... I know liquor lobby is active... it's time to overcome obstacles," Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna on Thursday.