The scourge of fake alcohol struck again in Bihar’s Samastipur, claiming a devoted father’s life and robbing his son of his precious sight. This preventable disaster exposes deep flaws in the state’s battle against bootlegging, leaving a family shattered and a village in grief.
Eyewitnesses recall Ramu Yadav and his son Ravi enjoying what they believed was harmless homemade brew at a neighborhood event. Hours later, violent vomiting, seizures, and blindness set in – classic signs of methanol contamination. Ramu, the family’s sole provider, didn’t make it past midnight, his body ravaged by the poison.
At the local clinic, Ravi’s pleas for light fell on deaf ears as his corneas swelled irreversibly. Advanced tests at a tertiary care center sealed his fate: total, irreversible vision loss. ‘We’ve seen too many such cases; awareness is key,’ lamented a senior ophthalmologist.
Swift police raids netted 500 liters of tainted liquor and nabbed a gang of five, including women acting as couriers. Forensic analysis links the batch to a larger racket smuggling adulterants from Uttar Pradesh borders.
Since prohibition’s rollout, Bihar has witnessed cyclical waves of hooch deaths, with 2023 alone logging over 50 victims. Critics argue that while raids make headlines, underground operations persist through bribery and poor rural surveillance.
Community leaders organized protests, urging the administration for ex-gratia payments, eye care funds for Ravi, and permanent closures of distilleries. The district collector promised a high-level inquiry and bolstered patrolling. Yet, as Ravi learns Braille amid tears, the question looms: how many more must suffer before real change arrives?