Two dead after drinking spurious liquor

The victims, identified as Bharat Nahak (41) and Raghu Behera (40) of Hatasahi village under Ranapur police station, died yesterday.

While Bharat Nahak died at Ranapur, Behera succumbed on way to the Capital Hospital at Bhubaneswar.

"Nahak is suspected to have died after consumption of spurious liquor. Such symptoms were found in his body," Dr Radhakanta Nath of Ranapur Primary Health Centre (PHC) said.

However, exact cause of the death could be ascertained only after post-mortem and forensic test reports were available, he said.

Refuting the allegation that the deaths were due to spurious liquor, superintendent of police (Nayagarh) Sesadev Mallick said they were suspected to have taken some pesticide.