Death toll in Gujarat's Bhavnagar liquor tragedy rises to seven; 30 hospitalised

Seven individuals have died, and a number of others are undergoing treatment after a suspected spurious liquor tragedy in Bhavnagar district on Thursday after they allegedly consumed liquor sold in duplicate IMFL bottles.

Key points

• So far, 12 bootleggers have been detained in this connection, with an FIR registered against 21 persons, Inspector General of Police, Bhavnagar Range, R V Asari remarked.
• Afterwards, it was identified out that individuals from other villages and areas within Bhavnagar city were additionally affected, Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar stated on Wednesday.
• According to police, the victims consumed spurious liquor packed in the duplicate bottle of a popular Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand.
• Seven persons have died after consuming spurious liquor, and 30 are undergoing treatment, Asari remarked.
• Four dead after taking hooch in 'dry' Gujarat "So far, 12 individuals have been rounded up, " he continued.

Gujarat is a 'dry' state where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol is banned.

"A case of accidental death was registered when a person died after consuming toxic, chemical-laced liquor at Kharakadi village under the Vartej police station limits. An FIR was subsequently lodged, naming 21 individuals as accused, " he remarked.

In practice, the police are conducting the investigation, and a team of the State Monitoring Cell has been assigned to handle the case, the official remarked.

For context, the district administration received information around 6 pm on Tuesday regarding a group of five friends falling ill after consuming illicit liquor during a party in Kharakadi village in Ghogha taluka of the district.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey, a group of residents consumed liquor from a "duplicate" bottle of an IMFL brand at Kharakadi village a few days back, after which their health deteriorated.

Teams of doctors from Sir T Hospital and Ahmedabad's kidney hospital IKDRC were additionally roped in for supervision at? Free treatment camps running at private hospitals.

After which their health deteriorated, the SP remarked on Wednesday, the examination of the victims has shown a common pattern that most of them consumed alcohol from the duplicate liquor bottles.

Preliminary investigation suggests that these bottles were supplied from Madhya Pradesh, and further investigation was underway into aspects like from where exactly they were brought, how they were produced, and who sent them to Bhavnagar, he remarked.

Plenty of bottles of the same brand have been seized from bootleggers, and efforts are underway to apprehend other bootleggers involved in the supply of spurious liquor, the official stated.

Taken together, the developments around death toll in Gujarat' s Bhavnagar liquor tragedy rises to seven; 30 hospitalised point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.