Hooch tragedy accused booked for murder

The crime branch, which is investigating the July hooch tragedy in the city, has filed a 5,500-page chargesheet at the metropolitan magistrate GM Patel court. It is for the first time that accused have been booked under section 302 (murder) of the IPC for making and distributing alcohol.

A total of 57 accused in the Odhav and Kagdapith incidents, places where most number of people died of the hooch, have been booked in the case. Thirty three have been accused in the Odhav tragedy, which includes three persons from Uttar Pradesh and six from Ahmedabad who are absconding. On the other hand, 24 people have been accused in Kagdapith case, including two police personnel and five others who are also absconding.

The accused include Vinod Dagri, Jagdish Thakkar, Sunil More, Chirag Thakkar, Dilip Patel, Daddu Chara and Hariom Kahar. All of them are booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 302, 307, 328, 272, 273, 114 120(B) and various provisions of the Bombay Prohibition Act.