Politicians, police shared my profits -- Hooch tragedy accused
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

THRISSUR, OCT 25: She lives in a palatial bungalow and has a range of cars. She knows politicians of all hues, and also knows her business -- offering discount for students once. She also happens to be the prime accused in the latest hooch tragedy in Kerala, which has so far claimed 32 lives.

If many are now wondering how the 50-something Hairunnissa was allowed such a free reign, she is willing to tell. During interrogation by the police at Guruvayur police station, Hairunnissa revealed that a lion's share of the huge profits made by her from her illicit liquor business was distributed among political parties -- irrespective of the colour of their flags -- as well as the police and excise officials. She also claimed that she made almost Rs 17,000 a day profit from her illicit business.

Hairunnissa, however, denies that the liquor supplied by her contained poison. She had been in the business for the past many years, she said, and so far there had been no ``complaint'' about the liquor supplied by her.

Hairunnissa has revealed that she had been procuring spirit from two people in Attingal at the rate of Rs 100 a litre. The spirit was diluted by liberally adding water (almost double the quantity of spirit), and then sold to customers at Rs 480 a litre. That means that the profit from a litre of diluted spirit worked out for Hairunnissa to Rs 380, minus the cost of labour in mixing and distribution.

Out of the profits earned from the business so far, she had acquired four luxury mini-buses, six other buses, a few cars, and two houses. She had been sentenced to six-year RI after a hooch-related death in 1996. Hairunnissa was on bail now, and obviously back in business.

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