-The Telegraph The government had on Tuesday assured the apex court that it would amend an Act, which the Opposition and critics have often assailed as disproportionately harsh Patna: At least five persons lost their lives after allegedly consuming hooch in Siwan and West Champaran districts of Bihar over the past 24 hours, at a time the state government is gearing up to ease prohibition penal provisions after being chided by the...

-The Indian Express Lucknow: Even as the number of deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor reached 35 Saturday, police said the liquor was sold by a dozen suppliers in at least a dozen villages in Mubarakpur area of Azamgarh. Azamgarh SP Arvind Sen said there is a possibility that the liquor could have been sold from more than one place as the people affected are from about 12 villages. Police said Ghure...

-The Hindu It deems key accused in Gujarat hooch tragedy unfit for bail Taking a serious view of the hooch tragedy in Gujarat, the Supreme Court said high courts and trial courts should show no leniency in granting of bail to accused in illicit liquor cases. The apex court cancelled bail to the key accused in the extant case, in which 147 persons died and 205 suffered serious health damage after consuming spurious...

-Outlook Hoogly (West Bengal): Seven persons have died after drinking illicit liquor at Payradanga village in this district, police said today. About 20 villagers drank liquor on Sunday night and fell sick, following which they were brought to Panduah rural hospital. After their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to the Imambara Sadar Hospital at Chinsurah. While one person died on way to Chinsurah, two others died during treatment there, officials said. As some of...

-The Times of India Trinamool Congress men beat a 38-year-old woman, confined her near a temple, tore off her clothes and forced her to walk half-naked to her home at Kanaidighi village in Bengal's East Midnapore district. After the torture and humiliation in the presence of her 16-year-old son and daughter on Sunday, the woman consumed poison and was admitted to Contai subdivisional hospital. Police put up a barricade around the hospital...