UP govt adds capital punishment in Excise act for hooch deaths

Lucknow: In a landmark decision against hooch manufacturers, an ordinance has been passed in Uttar Pradesh which may lead to life imprisonment or death penalty to the spurious liquor manufacturers if its consumption leads to death or permanent disability.

UP Governor Ram Naik on Wednesday gave green signal to the Uttar Pradesh Excise (Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, bringing the new law into effect from today onwards.

Earlier on September 20, the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government had passed the decision to bring an ordinance to incorporate provisions of life imprisonment and death penalty to the existing Excise law.

As no state legislature session in underway in the UP Assembly, the state government had decided to bring an ordinance to tighten the noose on the hooch manufacturers in the state. The ordinance was submitted before the Governor on September 26 for approval.

Also Read: UP govt to add capital punishment in Excise Act for hooch deaths

Some section of the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act, 1910 have been made stricter. Here are the sections which have been amended to eradicate the manufacturing of illicit liquor in UP:

Sections 3, 28, 30, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 60, 62, 63, 64A, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 69, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 74A have been amended while a new Section 60A has been added.

It is worth mentioning that the release has clarified that the death penalty will be awarded on the basis on the intensity of the tragedy caused due to hooch.

In case of death due to consumption of spurious liquor, the manufacturer may face death penalty, while in case of permanent disability, the convict will be awarded life imprisonment or Rs 10 lakh penalty or both.