Dehradun, February 23: The Uttarakhand Assembly on Friday passed a bill to enact stringent laws in the wake of the recent hooch tragedy that left dozens of people dead.
The Uttarakhand (the United Provinces Excise Act, 1910) (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by the House by a voice vote despite opposition by the Congress members, who were seeking tougher laws to curb the menace.
During the discussion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant said the bill will go a long way in curbing the menace of spurious liquor in the state.
He said under the new provisions, a person found guilty in the death caused by spurious liquor would face rigorous imprisonment of 7-10 years. A hefty fine of Rs 5-10 lakh will also be slapped on the convicts in cases where deaths occur.
In case of permanent disability or grievous injury, the imprisonment would be 6-8 years under the new bill.
The offence of selling spurious liquor has also been made non-bailable in the new bill. Investigations can be carried out without the orders of a magistrate.
Recently, two people were arrested in connection with the sale of illicit liquor in Roorkee, Uttarakhand. Haridwar SSP J Khanduri said, “They have accepted that they sold illicit liquor in Saharanpur too. They have named another accused in the case. Further investigation is underway.”