Madras High Court transfers Kallakurichi hooch tragedy probe to CBI

The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the Tamil Nadu Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CBCID) to transfer the investigation of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which claimed the lives of around 67 people who consumed spurious liquor, to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A Bench of Justices D Krishnakumar and PB Balaji passed the order on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by AIADMK’s legal wing secretary IS Inbadurai and others seeking a CBI probe into the incident.

The Court had earlier questioned why the authorities had failed to prevent the tragedy despite a similar incident having taken place last year in neighbouring districts.

It had noted, at the time, that weeks before the incident in Kallakurichi, local newspapers and a YouTuber had carried reports on spurious liquor being illegally made available in the area.