Punjab enhances compensation to families of hooch tragedy victims, CM terms deaths as murder

Sharing his sympathy with family members of the hooch tragedy victims, Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh on Friday visited Tarn Taran and termed the deaths as murder.

In a healing touch to the bereaved families, he also announced enhancement of the compensation being given to the victims’ families to ₹5 lakh each, from the existing ₹2 lakhs.

Terming the deaths as murder, Amarinder Singh categorically said that the perpetrators of this heinous crime deserve no leniency since it is a man made tragedy. He said that in order to ensure that culprits get exemplary punishment, special prosecution teams would be deputed to vigorously pursue these cases adding that the properties of those responsible for this unpardonable act be confiscated.

During interaction with the families, the CM further announced that those victims who have lost their eyesight in the tragedy would also get a financial assistance worth Rs. 5 lakh.

Handing over a cheque of ₹2.92 crore for 92 victim families of Tarn Taran district to the Deputy Commissioner, Capt. Amarinder Singh unequivocally said that anyone, however affluent he might be, responsible for this atrocious crime would not be spared at any cost. The Chief Minister said that investigations are already underway in this case and Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta has been directed to further expedite the same.

The Chief Minister said that the state government was duty-bound to ensure strictest punishment to the culprits so that it acts as a deterrent for others in the future. Underscoring the need to refrain from politicking over the sensitive issue at this juncture, Amarinder Singh reiterated his government’s commitment to stand by the victim families in this hour of grief by extending a helping hand in providing jobs, education and other social security benefits to them.

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Sunil Jakhar, who was accompanying the CM, lambasted the SAD-BJP alliance for nurturing the liquor mafia which ultimately led to this tragedy of such a magnitude. Without mincing any words, Jakhar said that this tragedy was an outcome of criminal negligence and merits exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of this crime.