The Hindu
 
Kolar, May 18: Eight persons, including two women, died after consuming spurious liquor in two villages in this district, police said on Sunday. While three persons died in Tekal where they had consumed spurious liquor, allegedly distributed by a political party, five others fell victims to the illicit brew in Narasapura, police said.

The third phase of assembly elections in Karnataka is being held on May 22. Kolar district was covered in the first phase on May 10.

The victims at Tekal have been identified as Appaiah (50), Garagappa (45) and Subramani (48).

In Narasapura, Narayanaswamy (35), Manjunath (40), Narayanamma (52), Chinnakka (50) and Muniswamy (32), who were residents of Ambedkar colony had consumed the brew on Saturday night, police said.

People of Narasapura, hearing about the tragedy blocked the Bangalore-Chennai road for some time, demanding immediate closure of an illicit liquor manufacturing unit in their village and arrest of culprits.

Top police officials rushed to the spot and assured them that action would be taken following which they dispersed.

The bodies of the victims were handed over to their relatives after post-mortem, police said.