As the death toll from drinking Hooch rose to 42 in Bihar on Saturday morning, police arrested 19 liquor dealers and sealed the houses of six others.

The liquor has killed four more in Samastipur district and six more from Rupauli village of Patori block were admitted to the hospital, according to district SP MS Dhillon.

After visiting Rupauli, "A bottle of branded McDowell was also found from the residence of Ravindra Rai in Rupauli who was Indian army personnel and had come on leave during Deepawali vacation," SP Dhillon said.

His father, Maheshwar Rai told the media over the Phone that his son had hosted a party on Deepawali night and offered "foreign" liquor. SP said another party was hosted by a serving BSF officer who had also come to the Village for the festival where they served Hooch liquor which caused four deaths, while six were admitted to the hospital.

Hooch tragedy which has already killed 38 in Chapra, Gopalganj, West Champaran, and East Champaran districts in the last two days, spread to Samastipur district, 100 km north east of Patna.

In Bettiah, 22 people, and in Gopalganj, 15 people died following the consumption of illicit liquor during the panchayat elections celebrations.

Two persons, Rajkumar Mishra and Manoranjan Singh, who were admitted to Patna Medical College hospital died today. They had consumed liquor in Gopalganj on Dhanteras evening. Villagers in Gopalganj today alleged local police had ignored their complaints against liquor vendors.

The state government today suspended officers in charge of Nautan and Lauriya police stations on the charges of negligence. Excise Minister Sunil Kumar today claimed since the introduction of prohibition in 2015, 700 policemen and officers have been sacked, six lakhs arrested and 60,000 vehicles were seized.