2 dead, 1 critical after consuming liquor in UP’s Etah; foul play suspected

Agra: Two men died and another is battling for life after allegedly consuming illicit or contaminated liquor in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah district on Thursday morning, officials said.The incident took place around 7:30 am in Misakalan village, under the jurisdiction of Awagarh police station. According to local sources, the three men—identified as Rakesh Singh (45), Narsingh Pal (59), and Ranjit Singh—had purchased a ‘tetra pack’ of liquor and their health rapidly deteriorated after drinking.Alarmed, local residents informed the families. The victims were rushed to a nearby Community Health Centre (CHC), from where they were referred to SN Medical College in Agra. Rakesh and Narsingh succumbed during transit. Their bodies were brought back to Etah, where local police took custody and sent them for a post-mortem examination.Taking note of the gravity of the situation, Etah district magistrate Arvind Singh said, “A team has been constituted to thoroughly probe the incident from all angles.”Shanti Devi, the wife of deceased Narsingh Pal, alleged that Rakesh had brought the liquor to their property and forced her husband to drink it.Narsingh’s son, Vijay, suspected foul play, linking the tragedy to a past dispute. Vijay stated that his elder brother Bhupendra was murdered in 2019, and the trial in that case is currently on. He alleged that four individuals from the village “hatched a conspiracy” to eliminate his father, who may have been a key witness in the case.Police, however, said all the three men were acquaintances and had gathered at Narsingh’s plot Thursday morning to drink together.(With inputs from Vikas Dubey in Etah)