A four-year-old boy tragically lost his life after falling into a concealed liquor barrel during idol immersion following Saraswati Puja in Bihar’s East Champaran on Wednesday.
The incident occurred in Mansingha village, where locals had gathered along the Gandak River for the immersion of Goddess Saraswati’s idol. A barrel filled with illegally brewed country-made liquor had been buried in a pit and covered with straw to avoid detection. Unaware of the hidden danger, the child, Morelal, accidentally fell into the barrel and drowned instantly.
On Thursday, East Champaran SP Swarn Prabhat directed local police to file a murder case against those involved in the illicit liquor trade in the village. The boy’s father, Horil Sahani, initially stated in his FIR that his son had drowned in the river and that he had personally retrieved the body. However, ASP Shikhar Chaudhary noted that preliminary findings suggested the child had drowned in liquor.
“The exact cause of death will be determined after the postmortem report,” SP Prabhat said.
