Punjab News: 17 Dead After Consuming Spurious Liquor In Amritsar; Kingpin, 9 Others Held
Chandigarh: At least 17 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Amritsar district's Majitha area, while the condition of four others is critical, Punjab police said on Tuesday.
Police said that it has nabbed the kingpin among 10 accused in the case and suspended Majitha sub-division deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Amolak Singh and station house officer (SHO), Avtar Singh for the gross negligence in discharging their duties to check such rackets selling spurious liquor. The area excise and taxation officer (ETO) and department inspector were also suspended for their gross negligence.
Police said that arrested accused included one Prabhjit Singh, a notorious bootlegger of the area, who had supplied Methanol, used to dilute with water to increase the quantity of the ``country liquor'', a highly dangerous concoction for sale. The police further said that another arrested accused, Saheb Singh had procured the Methanol online.
The deaths were reported from Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan and Therewal villages of Majitha sub-division area of Amritsar district where people had consumed spurious liquor after buying it from a single source.
Meanwhile, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said that those responsible for the deaths of innocent people would not be spared. Mann said on X: ``These are not deaths, these are murders’’. Mann also announced Rs 10 lakh to the kin of the deceased, free education to their children and Rs 2 lakh to those hospitalised.
RACKET BEHIND LETHAL CONCOCTION
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said that the police has arrested 10 persons including the kingpin of the racket along with several local distributors in connection with the illicit liquor trade and main suppliers of Methanol - a fatal chemical used in industrial products.
The arrested kingpin of the racket has been identified as Sahib Singh, while, main suppliers of methanol have been identified as Pankaj Kumar alias Sahil and Arvind Kumar, owners of Sahil Chemicals at Sukh Enclave in Ludhiana. Police have also arrested local distributors - identified as Prabhjit Singh and Kulbir Singh; and local sellers - identified as Ninder Kaur, Sahib Singh, Gurjant Singh, Arun alias Kala and Sikander Singh alias Pappu. DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the Methanol chemical, after being procured online by Sahib Singh, was being used for manufacturing spurious liquor.
THIRD TRAGEDY SINCE 2020
Meanwhile, according to reports, it was the third major hooch tragedy in Punjab since 2020, when over a period of two months – July and August – at least 130 people, most of them daily-wagers, had lost lives in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur.
In 2024, at least 20 people, most of them labourers, died after consuming spurious liquor in Sangrur, home district of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, exposing hollow claims of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of checking the spurious liquor mafia.
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