India
oi-Swastika Sruti
At least 11 people have reportedly died and 54 others have fallen ill following a possible tragedy involving spurious liquor in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh.
At least 11 people died and 54 fell ill in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, after consuming suspected spurious liquor, possibly supplied from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh; five officials have been suspended, and seven liquor shops sealed.
The accident occurred in the villages located in the Banda tehsil region, which is about 30 km away from the district headquarters of Sagar. The possible connection of the accident with Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh has been found in the early probe of the case.
Action has been initiated against five officials, three of whom belong to the excise department and the remaining two are police officers.
11 People Die After Drinking Suspected Spurious Liquor
According to Shashindra Chouhan, Sagar Range Deputy Inspector General of Police, 11 people lost their lives due to the consumption of illicit liquor in two villages within the Banda tehsil jurisdiction.
Further, 54 others got ill.
It was found that 49 out of these had symptoms like blurred vision and dizziness and had been admitted at Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMCH). The officials stated that the patients having less severe symptoms will be released after undergoing treatment.
Furthermore, the police teams were dispatched to find any other persons who had consumed the spurious liquor.
Preliminary Probe Points To Lalitpur Supply
One of the major developments in the investigation is the suspected connection to Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh. Sagar Collector Pratibha Pal said the initial investigation indicated that the liquor consumed by the victims had been supplied from Lalitpur.
Police are now investigating the possible network through which the liquor reached Sagar.
DIG Chouhan said investigators had found a possible link between some people in Lalitpur and the local liquor contractor or outlet owner.
Several people are being questioned as part of the investigation. Those named in the FIR are also being taken into custody, with further arrests expected after the allegations are confirmed through the investigation.
Fake Packaging Made Liquor Look Genuine
Madhya Pradesh Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena said the suspected spurious liquor was packaged in a way that made it appear genuine.
According to Saxena, the packaging resembled that of locally manufactured liquor brands. This allegedly allowed people to believe that they were purchasing legitimate alcohol.
He said the investigation is now focused on finding out where the liquor was manufactured, how it entered the supply chain and who was responsible for distributing it.
The investigation will also have to determine whether licensed outlets or their agents played any role in the distribution of the suspected fake liquor.
Five Officials Face Action
The state government has taken action against officials following the tragedy.
Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena said the following excise officials were suspended:
- Sagar Assistant Excise Commissioner Kirti Dubey
- Additional District Excise Officer Dilip Kandaka
- Excise Sub-Inspector Roshani Urathi
Sagar’s area Deputy Commissioner Neerja Shrivastava was transferred out of the district and attached to the department headquarters in Gwalior.
Two police officials have also been suspended. They include the Banda police station house officer and an outpost in-charge. The action comes as authorities face questions over how suspected illegal liquor reached consumers despite the presence of the excise and police machinery.
Police have registered three separate FIRs based on complaints filed by relatives of the victims. The cases have been registered at two police stations, including Banda police station.
Seven Liquor Shops Sealed
As a precautionary measure, the district administration has sealed seven liquor shops in the affected area. Authorities have also ordered immediate sampling of liquor from the outlets. The samples are expected to help investigators determine whether the suspected fake liquor was sold through licensed outlets and whether other batches in the area could pose a similar risk.
