3 die after consuming liquor at local body poll nominee's home

Pune: Three persons died after consuming liquor, apparently in excess, at a dinner party of a candidate contesting a local body election at a village in western Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district, police said today. Police, however, ruled out hooch consumption. Besides, six other persons were also hospitalised and their condition was reported to be critical, they said. "A Shiv Sena candidate from Pangarmal village had kept a dinner party at home on Sunday night where liquor and meal were served.

On Monday morning, some persons (who attended the dinner) started complaining of vomiting and loose motions and were rushed to a nearby hospital where three of them died," Ahmednagar's Superintendent of Police Saurabh Tripathi said. However, ruled out hooch consumption angle in the incident, Tripathi said generally after consuming hooch or methyl alcohol, the person does not survive for long.

But in this case, all the persons started having vomiting and upset stomach on the next day. "Primary investigation reveals that the death was caused due to excessive ethanol consumption. However, we are investigating what was mixed in it and also quizzing the owner of the liquor shop from where it was procured," the SP said.

The exact cause of the death will be known after getting final report in this regard from the lab, he said. Tripathi also said that the candidate, who had thrown the dinner on Sunday, was also being quizzed. "So far we have registered an accidental death case, he said. The deceased were identified as - Rajendra Andhale (45), Popat Awhad (40) and Dilip Awhad (45), all residents of Pangarmal, police added.