AHMEDABAD: Three people have died and several others are undergoing treatment following a suspected spurious liquor tragedy in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat after they allegedly consumed liquor sold in duplicate IMFL bottles.
The incident, linked to a liquor party in Kharkadi village of Ghogha taluka on August 16, has triggered a major police crackdown. Four alleged bootleggers have been arrested and 15 of 28 liquor boxes seized. The State Monitoring Cell has now taken over the investigation.
However, authorities have cautioned that the exact cause of death in at least two cases remains under investigation. Officials said the deaths can be conclusively linked to spurious liquor only after medical and forensic examinations are completed.
The suspected poisoning came to light after seven friends reportedly gathered for a liquor party in Kharkadi village on the night of August 16. Several people subsequently developed serious health complications.
Upendrasinh Chandrasinh Gohil, 25, a resident of Kharkadi, died while undergoing treatment at Sir T Hospital. The toll later rose to three with the deaths of Kartik Ashwinbhai Makwana, 40, of Talaja Road in Bhavnagar, and Narendrasinh Yadav, a native of Indore in Madhya Pradesh.
SDM Akshar Vyas told local media that, according to the latest information available to the administration, 20 people were undergoing treatment. Of these, 12 were admitted to Bhavnagar Civil Hospital, five to Arogyaam Hospital, one to BIMS and two to Ved ICU.
Vyas said dedicated medical teams had been instructed to monitor the cases and urged anyone who had consumed the suspected liquor to immediately approach the nearest medical facility, even if their symptoms appeared minor.
The case took a sharper turn after a police investigation indicated that duplicate bottles bearing the branding of an IMFL product had allegedly been circulated across Vartej police station limits and parts of Bhavnagar city.
Police have arrested four alleged bootleggers, including Gautam Solanki, based on information gathered from victims and human sources.
According to the district police, the accused allegedly supplied the duplicate liquor over the past three to four days. Officials said around 90% of the suspected liquor distributed through the network had been recovered, while efforts were continuing to trace the remaining stock and identify the source from which the accused obtained the duplicate liquor.
The suspected supply chain has also been linked to a larger consignment. Officials said 28 boxes of liquor were reportedly brought from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh, of which 15 boxes have been seized. Police are searching for the remaining 13 boxes and investigating whether the consignment was part of a wider illicit liquor network.
The suspected liquor has reportedly affected people from Bharatnagar, Akwada and Talaja Road, as well as villages including Kharkadi, Nana Khokhara and Devgana. This has prompted police to widen the investigation beyond the original gathering in Kharkadi.
The administration has also moved quickly at the state level. Deputy Chief Minister held a late-night meeting at Ahmedabad Airport on August 18 with senior officials, including State Police Chief G.S. Malik, the Intelligence Bureau chief and the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner.
Following the meeting, State Monitoring Cell SP Mayur Chavda was immediately sent to the district with instructions to take the strictest possible action.
The investigation has now been handed over to the State Monitoring Cell, signalling that the authorities are treating the suspected liquor network as more than an isolated local incident.
Police said scientific evidence was being collected and liquor samples had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for immediate testing. Officials are also trying to establish the precise chemical composition of the suspected liquor and determine whether toxic substances were responsible for the victims' deteriorating condition.
A police officer said the strongest impact of the incident had so far been reported within Vartej police station limits and some areas of Bhavnagar city. The officer said a preliminary investigation had indicated the widespread sale of liquor allegedly filled or circulated in duplicate IMFL bottles.
Police have appealed to residents not to consume liquor suspected to have come from the illicit network and to immediately report information regarding its sale or distribution to the nearest police station.
Family members of the deceased have also raised serious suspicions about the liquor. Omdevsinh Saravaiya, a relative of one of the deceased, said his maternal uncle's son, Kanaksinh Gohil, a bus driver, had allegedly consumed alcohol and later died after being rushed to Sir T Hospital.
“Kanaksinh lived alone, so it is not known exactly when he consumed the alcohol. He began experiencing breathing difficulties, following which neighbours rushed him to Sir T Hospital early in the morning. The doctors informed the family that he had consumed alcohol,” Saravaiya said.
Police, however, are maintaining caution over the cause of death in individual cases. Officials pointed out that one of the deceased had a travel history involving Ahmedabad, making it necessary to examine all possible medical factors before establishing a direct link with the suspected liquor.
The deceased have been identified as Kartik Ashwinbhai Makwana, 40, of Talaja Road; Upendrasinh Chandrasinh Gohil, 25, of Kharkadi in Ghogha taluka; and Narendrasinh Yadav of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
With forensic reports awaited, police are now pursuing two parallel leads: establishing whether the suspected liquor caused the deaths and dismantling the network that allegedly manufactured, supplied and distributed the duplicate IMFL bottles.
Authorities have also appealed to anyone who consumed the suspected liquor to seek medical attention immediately, even if they currently feel well.
