Bhuban: A 35-year-old man from Kanakhai village under Balibo panchayat in Bhuban police limits of Dhenkanal district died after allegedly consuming spurious (fake) liquor, according to a complaint filed with police.
The deceased, identified as Ramakant Dehuri, reportedly fell ill and collapsed while cutting paddy in a field Sunday.
When he did not respond, co-workers alerted his family, who rushed him to Bhuban hospital. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Villagers blocked the Anantapur–Balibo–Neelakanthapur main road with his body, demanding compensation for the family and the removal of a local foreign liquor shop.
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Police said Ramakant had purchased liquor from the shop near the village on his way to the field with other labourers.
After consuming it during work, he complained of uneasiness before collapsing. Family members alleged that he died after consuming spurious liquor and lodged a complaint at the Bhuban police station.
Police registered an unnatural death case and handed over the body to the family after a post-mortem. Following the post-mortem, family members, along with the village sarpanch, panchayat leaders and residents, staged a road blockade demanding compensation and the closure of the foreign liquor outlet.
They relented after Bhuban police and Tehsildar Anil Kumar Mohanty reached the spot and persuaded the protesters to withdraw the blockade.
