Toddy shop closures in Chittur spark investigation demand

The Kerala Toddy Shop Licensee Association is calling for an investigation into the closure of 21 toddy shops in Chittur. This comes after cough syrup was found in samples from these shops, raising serious concerns. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has backed this demand for an inquiry. The chemical diphenhydramine, commonly found in cough syrups, was detected in the samples taken from the shops. These samples were tested at a laboratory in Kakkanad. Leaders of the association claim there may have been foul play involved in the testing. They argue it does not make sense for toddy licensees to add cough syrup to their product since it does not improve it or increase profits. They also noted that the color of the toddy did not change, which would be expected if cough syrup were added. K.K. Bhageerathan, the association's secretary, pointed out that all samples from the closed shops were tested by the same individual. Typically, samples are tested by various teams to ensure fairness. They usually collect three samples: one for the shop owners, one for the lab, and one for the Excise department to keep. Bhageerathan expressed concerns for the workers impacted by the shop closures, warning that this might lead to the illegal sale of toddy and liquor in those areas.