AHMEDABAD: Two people died and several others were hospitalized in Gujarat's Gandhinagar district after drinking alcohol though the exact reason for the deaths was not yet identified, officials said on Monday.
While two people have died, two others who also happened to consume the same were sent to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police (SP)Ravi Teja Vasamsetty said that the incident occurred in Dehgam taluka on Sunday and Monday night.
"The condition of the two admitted in the hospital is said to be stable," he stated.
Vasamsetty also added that the exact cause of the death was still not identified and it did not have any traces of methyl alcohol nor was it found to be spurious in forensic research.
Meanwhile, Amit Chavda, the leader of the Congress Legislative Party, alleged that "Due to the corruption of the BJP government in Gujarat, innocent people are constantly losing their lives due to illicit liquor. This is not incompetence."
"In Botad, more than 45 people have died as a result of illicit booze use. Five people died after drinking illicit syrup in Nadiad, and the illicit liquor incident in Gandhinagar has once again demonstrated that Gujarat's liquor ban is simply on paper,” he added.
However, Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi refuted the charges.
"Investigation is ongoing, high-level officials are looking into the matter, a preliminary report from FSL has arrived, and the second report will arrive soon," Sanghvi said.
“I don't want to get political about this. It's a societal problem that the Gujarat government is working hard to eradicate," he added
It is vital to note that there have been numerous incidents involving illicit booze in Gujarat previously. In July 2022, 42 persons were killed in a hooch catastrophe in Barwala, Botad district.
In 2016, 19 individuals died in Kadodara, Surat, as a result of drinking contaminated liquor.
In 2009, a hooch catastrophe in Ahmedabad killed over 150 people and affected over 200 others.
BY: Dilip Singh Kshatriya