Tragedy Hits Amritsar: 21 Dead, 10 Critical After Drinking Spurious Liquor
Amritsar, Punjab – A tragic incident took place in the Majitha area of Amritsar district when 21 individuals died and 10 were admitted to the hospital in critical condition after drinking spurious liquor. The victims, who ranged from 26 to 80 years of age, had taken the illicit liquor between Monday evening and Tuesday morning, as per police reports.
The villages affected are Patpaluvi, Karmala, Marari Kalan, Bhangali, and Threowal. The local government quickly sent medical teams to do door-to-door screening in the said villages to locate and provide assistance to those who may have taken the poisonous brew.
An initial police inquiry found that methanol, an extremely poisonous substance frequently used in industrial commodities, was utilized in the production of the illicit liquor. The methanol-contaminated liquor resulted in deadly poisoning among the clientele. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav ensured that the primary accused Sahib Singh had purchased the methanol online and utilized it to produce the deadly mixture.
As a reaction to the incident, ten people have been arrested, including major suppliers and local distributors of the illegal liquor. Those arrested include Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Amolak Singh and Station House Officer (SHO) Amritpal Singh, who have been suspended due to negligence and inability to prevent the occurrence of the incident in spite of early signs of illegal operations. The DGP announced that Majitha DSP Amolak Singh and SHO Avtar Singh have been suspended on charges of gross negligence in the performance of their official duties, leading to the tragic accident. Departmental inquiries have been launched against the erring officers.
Sharing information about modus operandi, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh added that local distributor Prabhjeet Singh had procured methanol filled in 50-litre jerry cans from kingpin Sahib Singh. Under interrogation, the latter divulged that he had ordered methanol from a Ludhiana-based chemical company, Sahil Chemicals, through an online portal, he added.
The local distributor, Prabhjeet Singh, received the liquor filled with methanol in 50-litre jerry cans from Sahib Singh, investigation revealed, SSP Amritsar (Rural) Maninder Singh said. The methanol was ordered by a chemical company in Ludhiana and was shipped through an online portal, officials said. Officials are probing a Delhi-based chemical company purportedly involved in the transaction.
The SSP informed that the investigation also found another shipment of methanol, purchased by Sahib Singh, from the Delhi company is also on its way. Excise and police teams have been sent to recover and impound the consignment as soon as it reaches, SSP said, adding 600 litres of methanol were seized in a joint operation by Patiala Police and Excise Department based on information received from Amritsar Rural Police.
Yadav added that two FIRs have been lodged separately at Majitha and Kathunangal police stations in Amritsar Rural under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as under applicable sections of the Excise Act and the SC/ST Act.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann mourned the incident and pledged severe action against the culprits. Declaring a compensation of ₹10 lakh to each of the families of the victims, he asserted that no one from among them, irrespective of political affiliations, would be let off. "These are not deaths but murders," he asserted confidently.
Mann compared this tragedy to past events, such as one in Taran Taran in 2020 when 120 individuals had lost their lives after drinking illicit liquor. He admitted that crimes like these usually have political corruption as their cause and demanded a proper investigation to find deeper connections.
While that was happening, the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacked the government for not being able to break the liquor mafia and asked for responsibility. They asked for an FIR under Section 302 (murder) against the Excise Minister and his resignation.
As the probe goes on, the stage is again set in Punjab with the state's long-standing problem of illegal liquor syndicates, and questions are being asked about governance, enforcement, and citizen safety in a hurry.
References
- 21 dead, 10 serious after consuming spurious liquor in Amritsar - The Hindu
- Hooch kills 21 in Amritsar, supplier among 10 held; DSP, SHO suspended | Chandigarh News - The Indian Express
