In Four Months COVID-19 Claimed 10 Lives In Kerala, But Two Days Of Liquor Sale Saw 5 Murders
Ever since the first COVID-19 cases were reported back in January, Kerala has been praised for its efforts to contain the outbreak and keeping the mortality rate low.Till now Kerala has recorded only 10 COVID-19 deaths (9 according to the Kerala government as it does not count the death of a Mahe resident who died in Kannur, under its tally).?
While that is an impressive achievement for a state like Kerala that has a sizable expat population there is another development in the state that is causing some concerns.?
In the 48 hours since liquor sales resumed in Kerala after the lockdown, the state has witnessed five murders linked to alcohol consumption.Unlike the majority of the states where liquor shops were opened after the relaxations were announced in Lockdown 4.0, Kerala had held back on it claiming that it will be impossible to maintain social distancing.?
However, later the Kerala Government decided to open liquor outlets and made the sale only via an online token.The Kerala government had launched a mobile application BevQ for the sale of liquor to avoid overcrowding at beverage corporation outlets.?
The virtual queue management app which went live on May 28 allotted slots and outlets to customers as per their booking to buy a maximum of 3 liters per customer.?
But since then there has been a spate of murders in the state which have been linked to liquor consumption.?
While a woman was killed by her 27-year old son in an inebriated state in Kottayam district on Saturday night, a 67 -year old man was beaten to death by his son in Malappuram district for questioning his drinking habit.?
In Balaramapuram in Thiruvananthapuram, a 33-year old man, Shyam, died after he was attacked by his friend Sathikumar in the early hours on Sunday.Shyam was allegedly attacked by Sathikumar using an iron rod while they were having drinks together.?
In another alcohol-related crime, a 22-year old man, Sihabuddin, was allegedly stabbed to death and another person, 21-year-old Muhammed Afsal, injured seriously in a drunken brawl involving four persons in the same group in Tanur in Malappuram district on Saturday.?
The crime rate across Kerala had come down significantly since the lockdown came into effect on March 24.?
In the initial days of the lockdown Kerala, which has the highest per capita liquor consumption rate in the country had seen a series of suicides, due to extreme alcohol withdrawal symptoms.? ??
