Maharashtra: Villagers boycott voting in protest against seven liquor deaths

Ahmednagar: Voters at Pangarmal village in Maharashtra boycotted the local body polls to protest against the deaths of seven people who allegedly consumed adulterated liquor at a dinner party of an election candidate.

Zero voting was recorded in the zilla parishad and panchayat samiti elections held on Thursday at Pangarmal village in western Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district.

The villagers did not exercise their right to franchise despite being requested to do so by tehsildar Sudhir Patil, Assistant Election Officer Arun Anandkar said on Friday.

The angry locals demanded immediate compensation for the families of the victims and those hospitalised. Seven persons have so far died after allegedly consuming adulterated liquor on Sunday night at a dinner party thrown by a candidate who contested the local body poll in Pangarmal.

On Monday morning, some of the people complaining about vomiting and stomach upset were rushed to a nearby hospital where three of them died, police said earlier on Friday. Four more deaths followed, totalling to seven deaths.

Eight more persons are still admitted at private hospitals in the city, police said.

"Seven persons have so far died after consuming adulterated liquor at the party and few more are undergoing treatment," Deputy Superintendent of Police Ghanshayam Patil said.

Police had initially ruled out hooch consumption. Meanwhile, three persons were arrested on Thursday in connection with the incident. They were produced in a local court which remanded them in police custody till February 20.