Spurious liquor kills 4 in ‘dry’ Gujarat; 4 bootleggers caught

Spurious liquor kills 4 in 'dry' Gujarat; 4 bootleggers caught "Of the 18 people undergoing treatment, medical reports indicate that two are in critical condition, four are in the ICU, two are on ventilators, while 10 others are stable, " Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar remarked.

Key points

• "The deceased have been identified as Kartik Makwana (40), Upendra Gohil (25), Ghanshyam Jadeja (50), and Narendra Yadav, " Mr.
• Relatives of victims at the Sir Takhtasinh General Hospital in Bhavnagar on August 19, 2026.
• "Four persons have died and 18 others were hospitalised, eight of them in critical condition, after consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, " authorities stated on Wednesday (August 19, 2026).
• "Four bootleggers have been detained in this connection, " they remarked, adding that the victims had consumed duplicate liquor of a popular Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand.
• Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar remarked the district administration received information at around 6 p.m.

Relatives of victims at the Sir Takhtasinh General Hospital in Bhavnagar on August 19, 2026. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement.

"Four bootleggers have been detained in this connection, " they remarked, adding that the victims had consumed duplicate liquor of a popular Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand. Gujarat is a 'dry' State where manufacturing, sale and consumption of alcohol are banned.

Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar remarked the district administration received information at around 6 p.m. On Tuesday (August 18, 2026) concerning a group of five friends falling ill after consuming illicit liquor during a party in Kharkadi village in Ghogha taluka of the district.

"Individuals from other villages and areas within Bhavnagar city have additionally been affected. In total, 22 individuals are impacted. While four persons have died, 18 others are at present undergoing treatment, " he stated to journalists.

"The deceased have been identified as Kartik Makwana (40), Upendra Gohil (25), Ghanshyam Jadeja (50), and Narendra Yadav, " Mr. Kumar continued. "However, it is yet to be completely established whether Yadav died due to consumption of spurious liquor or not, " he remarked.

"Of the 18 people undergoing treatment, medical reports indicate that two are in critical condition, four are in the ICU, two are on ventilators, while 10 others are stable, " he remarked. While the person from Jamnagar is asymptomatic, the Collector remarked one person from Surat was at present undergoing treatment there.

He additionally appealed to all those in the affected areas who consumed IMFL of a particular brand in the last four days to secure themselves examined at the nearest hospital or Sir T Hospital in Bhavnagar, regardless of whether they are showing symptoms.

Teams of doctors from Sir T Hospital and Ahmedabad's kidney hospital IKDRC are additionally being sent to free treatment camps running at private hospitals to provide supervision.

After which their health deteriorated, superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey remarked a group of residents consumed liquor from a "duplicate" bottle of an IMFL brand at Kharkadi village a few days back.

"A man subsequently died, and six others were admitted to various hospitals in Bhavnagar for treatment, " he remarked. "Bootleggers from Vartej and other police station areas in the city have been detained, " SP Pandey remarked to journalists.

"The examination of these affected people showed a common pattern that most of them consumed alcohol from the duplicate liquor bottles, " the official remarked.

"Preliminary investigation suggests that these bottles were supplied from Madhya Pradesh, and further investigation was under way into aspects, like from where they were brought, how they were produced, and who sent them here, " he remarked.

"After enquiring with these individuals, we deputed different police teams that employed technical surveillance and human assistance to detain four bootleggers who were part of the supply chain of the duplicate IMFL brand bottles. Further legal action is underway, " the SP remarked.

"Many bottles of the same brand have been seized from these people, and efforts are underway to apprehend other bootleggers involved in the supply of spurious liquor, " the official remarked. "A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was also involved in the scientific investigation, " he continued.

Meanwhile, the SP additionally appealed to other residents who had consumed alcohol from duplicate liquor bottles to consult a doctor even if they had not suffered from any adverse health condition.

In short, spurious liquor kills 4 in 'dry' Gujarat; 4 bootleggers caught is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.