Bhavnagar Hooch Tragedy: Death Toll Reaches Nine, Three Critical

The death toll from the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district rose to nine on Saturday after one more victim succumbed during treatment, while three others remain in critical condition, district officials said.

A victim, Hardik Kilji, died on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. According to the district administration's update, 17 patients are still undergoing treatment at the civil hospital and six private facilities in the city, with three of them in a critical condition.

So far, 17 patients who consumed the toxic liquor have been discharged, while 18 others have sought medical consultation. The liquor contained methanol, a highly toxic substance that can cause severe illness and death.

Police have arrested 13 of the 21 accused named in the FIR registered at Vartej police station in connection with the hooch tragedy. The accused have been booked under charges including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, adulteration, and poisoning under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prohibition Act. A local court on Thursday remanded them in police custody for 10 days.

The investigation has been handed over to the State Monitoring Cell (SMC), a specialised Gujarat police unit that tracks illicit liquor and gambling operations across the state.

According to police, the victims consumed spurious liquor packed in bottles bearing the name of a popular Indian-made foreign liquor brand. The illicit hooch was allegedly prepared at the residence of Gautam Solanki in Vartej, with the help of a man named Raees, who was detained from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. The toxic liquor was then packed and sealed in bottles carrying the label of an IMFL brand and supplied to bootleggers for distribution.

The matter came to light after three friends consumed the liquor at Vartej on the night of August 16. All of them fell ill, and one of them, Upendrasinh Gohil, died. An examination of his blood sample confirmed the presence of methanol. A Forensic Science Laboratory report later showed that the liquor contained 38.59 per cent methanol and 0.94 per cent ethanol.

Solanki has told police that he came into contact with Raees through a common friend. Raees and his assistant, Zuber from Ujjain, procured raw materials from Ahmedabad and prepared the toxic liquor at Solanki's residence. Narendra Yadav, also from Madhya Pradesh, was involved in the illegal business. Yadav later died after consuming the liquor he himself had prepared.

Teams have been sent to Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, from where the raw materials were likely supplied to Gujarat, according to SMC Superintendent of Police Mayursinh Chavda. He said that prima facie, most of these individuals were involved for financial gain. “Investigation is also underway into where the bottle-sealing equipment came from and who supplied it,” he said.

Gujarat is a 'dry' state where the manufacture, sale, and consumption of alcohol are banned. Despite strict prohibition, illicit liquor tragedies have occurred in the past, highlighting the challenges of enforcement. Methanol, often used as a cheap substitute for ethanol, is extremely dangerous and can cause blindness, organ failure, and death even in small quantities.

The authorities have urged people to report any suspicious activities related to illicit liquor. Medical teams are monitoring the affected families, and the district administration has assured strict action against those responsible for the tragedy.