Gujarat: Four dead, 18 hospitalised in Bhavnagar hooch tragedy
Four people have died and 18 others are hospitalised, eight critically, after consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district. The illicit liquor, allegedly transported from Madhya Pradesh and sold under the name of a popular IMFL brand, has triggered a statewide police crackdown.
Bhavnagar: Four people have died, and 18 others have been hospitalised, eight of them in critical condition, after consuming spurious liquor illegally brought from Madhya Pradesh and sold in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, police said on Wednesday.
The victims had consumed duplicate liquor sold under the name of a popular Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand. Gujarat is a dry state, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited.
Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik told IANS, “As of now, four people have died in the incident. Necessary instructions have been given to all police units across the state to carry out intensive checks.”
The first death was reported on Tuesday evening, followed by another later that night, while two more people died on Wednesday.
Officials said at least 22 people had been affected by the spurious liquor. The deaths of Kartik Makwana, 40, Upendra Gohil, 25, and Ghanshyamsinh Jadeja, 50, have been confirmed as being caused by consumption of spurious liquor.
The post-mortem and toxicology reports of the fourth victim, Narendra Yadav, are awaited. All four deceased were from Bhavnagar district.
Of the 18 people currently admitted to five hospitals, including Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital and four private hospitals, two are in critical condition, four are in intensive care, two are on ventilator support, and 10 are stable.
The district administration received information around 6 p.m. on Tuesday that four people had fallen ill after consuming illicit liquor at a party in Kharkadi village in Ghogha taluka on August 16.
Senior government doctors have been deputed to private hospitals to supervise treatment. At the same time, a nephrology team from the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), Ahmedabad, was being sent to Bhavnagar to provide specialist assistance.
Bhavnagar Police detained four suspected bootleggers on Tuesday night in connection with the illegal transportation of the liquor from Madhya Pradesh and its sale in the district.
Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey said 16 police teams had been formed to arrest the accused and establish the extent of the distribution network.
“When the incident came to our attention, we formed 16 police teams and began the hunt to apprehend the accused bootleggers and to find out the extent of the distribution of the particular liquor consignment,” Pandey told reporters.
FSL teams have joined the investigation and samples of the suspected liquor have been sent for testing.
Meanwhile, Ahmedabad Rural Police have intensified checks after the suspected liquor route was believed to have passed through the district.
Around 800 personnel conducted checking operations from Tuesday night until 6 a.m. on Wednesday, resulting in 177 liquor-related cases being registered.
The operation is being expanded to around 500 villages. Police teams will meet residents and village representatives to trace possible movement, storage and sale of the liquor.
Sarpanches have also been asked to report information about illegal liquor.
Ahmedabad Rural SP Om Prakash Jat said, “We have carried out checking at various locations across the district from the night until 6 a.m. Discussions with village sarpanches in Ahmedabad Rural are continuing. Anyone having information regarding the movement or storage of the liquor should inform the police.”
Police have specifically warned residents against consuming liquor being sold under the brand name ‘Royal Stag’ and urged anyone who has purchased or consumed such liquor to inform the authorities immediately.
