BHUBANESWAR: In a new development, a fresh statement reached Justice P. K. Patro Commission probing Ganjam hooch tragedies of 2006 on Saturday alleging link of a Cabinet Minister, a youth leader and a senior bureaucrat with liquor the mafia operating in the region.

Haramba Das (34), who claimed to be a relative of the two deceased, Bhgaban Das and Babula Das of Golabandha area in Ganjam district, submitted the statement saying that he was aggrieved of liquor tragedies.

Counsel of Mr. Das, Surya Narayan Patnaik argued that the petitioner was away from the State for quite sometime and came to know about links of influential persons in liquor tragedies from newspapers. Following which, the petitioner wanted to inform more on the subject, the counsel said.

According to him, the Minister had helped the main accused Surya Sahu in getting licence for manufacturing and selling of distilled country liquor in the locality.

On hearing the counsel, Justice Patro directed advocates of Commission and Government to submit their objections on June 21 as to whether the affidavit by Mr. Das should be accepted for consideration.

Earlier, the Commission had refused to entertain a similar affidavit to be filed by one Ganjam-based journalist Rajiv Patra, who alleged unholy nexus between the minister and liquor mafia. The Commission had stated that Mr. Patra could not present any supporting evidence to substantiate his charge.

On Saturday, the Commission, which was to hear Surya Sahu, his father Ganapati Sahu and J. Purusottam Reddy, asked government pleaders to supply copies of allegations to the accused so that they could file their affidavit accordingly. The Commission fixed June 20 as the next date of hearing.

The Commission has so far examined 41 witnesses in the hooch tragedy case in which 35 people had fallen victim by consuming adulterated liquor in Ganjam district last year.

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