A GROUPof social organisations observed ‘No UPI Day’ and staged demonstration, raising objections to the imposition of charges on UPI transactions above Rs 2,000, on Wednesday. During the demonstration, Nagrik Upbhokta Margdarshak Manch (NUMM) Dr P G Najpande charged that the Centre had decided to impose UPI charges under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, without inviting objections from the public. He said that under Section 10 of the Act, objections should have been invited within 30 days before taking such a decision. Najpande said that although the Centre has maintained that the proposed UPI charges would not burden ordinary citizens, past experience showed that charges imposed on services as a key conspirator in the spurious liquor cases registered at Banda and Vinayaka police stations. The liquor tragedy in Banda led to multiple deaths and illnesses. Police said the case registered in connection with the incident has so far been linked to 20 deaths while the State Government informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday that the deaths of seven other people were suspected to be connected with the tragedy.

 

More than 50 people were also reported to have suffered vision-related problems following consumption of the spurious liquor. According to the police investigation, Lodhi and his associates, including Ashish Sahu, Ravi Lakhera and Chandu Raja alias Chandrabhan, planned to manufacture spurious liquor under the brand name Sagar Gold. Police said the liquor was manufactured at Tatarwara village using industrial spirit and thinner sourced from Delhi, while raw materials, dies and empty bottles were procured from Gwalior. The spurious liquor was then sold at low prices through licensed liquor shops and village-level commission agents in Banda, Nauraj, Gugra and Chhapri areas. Till now, 52 people have been booked in three cases related to the matter, of whom 39 have been arrested. Among those arrested is Delhi-based chemical supplier Anup Giri, according to police. The arrest of Lodhi is being treated as a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Banda spurious liquor case.