Killer hooch 'supplier' arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM, DEC. 20. The Special Investigation Team probing the serial hooch tragedy case today claimed to have made a major breakthrough with the arrest of one Anil Kumar alias Ani (31), who is believed to have supplied the killer hooch which caused the deaths at Kalluvathukkal. The arrested person is a native of Karthikapally in Alappuzha district.

Talking to presspersons at the Police Club here, the Kollam Sub- Division Dy.SP, Mr. Manilal, who effected the arrest, said that Ani was held from the Coimbatore bus stand at 2 a.m. on Wednesday following a tip-off. Mr. Manilal was assisted by the Anchal circle inspector, Mr. Jaya Kumar, and the sub-inspector, Mr. Rasheed.

Mr. Manilal said that Ani, who resides at Hosur in Karnataka, was a regular supplier of spirit to various abkari contractors in Kerala. He used to drive down from Karnataka with the stuff concealed in a specially-made tank in his Fiat car. The tank was fitted in the car by a garage operator in Aroor.

The police said that a consignment of 370 litres of spirit brought in this manner from Karnataka was suspected to be the killer brew which caused the deaths at Kalluvathukkal. However, Ani did not supply the brew directly to Hyrunnisa.

The brew is believed to have been handed over to a person in Attingal who, in turn, passed on a portion of it to Hyrunnisa's hooch den at Kalluvathukkal.

Mr. Manilal said that further investigations would reveal whether it was the same stuff which had caused the deaths at Pattazhi, Pallikkal and Pallipuram.

Police said that following the series of hooch tragedies, Ani had stopped coming to Kerala.

He had also left Hosur and was staying at various places in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat before being nabbed in Coimbatore. Mr. Manilal said that Ani would be produced before the Paravur Munsif Court Magistrate, Mrs. B.S. Bindukumari, later tonight.

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Section  : Southern States
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