Police apprehended the main accused in the Sagar hooch tragedy case after a brief encounter in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district early Wednesday, an official said.
Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, carrying a reward of Rs 30,000, was wanted in connection with the deaths of 20 people who allegedly consumed spurious liquor earlier this month.
A police team intercepted Lodhi and his accomplice Ashish Sahu around 3 am at Noniya Sesai Road Valley, about 50 km from Sagar, Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania said.
According to the SP, the two opened fire at the police team, prompting personnel to retaliate in self-defence. Lodhi suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, while Sahu fractured his hand while attempting to flee.
Both were admitted to a hospital for treatment, he said.
Police recovered two country-made pistols, five empty cartridges and a baseball bat from the spot, the official said.
With the latest arrests, 35 accused have been apprehended in the spurious liquor case, Sujania said.
Police are continuing efforts to arrest another key accused, Siddharth Kushwaha, and others wanted in the case.
(With inputs from PTI)