Bhavnagar: Two people have died and 19 others have been hospitalised after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, officials said on Wednesday. Four suspected bootleggers have been detained in connection with the incident, while authorities have launched an investigation into the source and distribution of the liquor.
The incident was reported from Kharkadi village in Ghogha taluka, where several people allegedly consumed liquor from duplicate bottles of an Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand. Soon after drinking the liquor, a number of people reportedly developed health complications and were taken to different hospitals in Bhavnagar.
Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar confirmed the deaths and hospitalisations. Police said the suspected liquor had been sold in duplicate bottles carrying the label of a well-known IMFL brand. Several such bottles have reportedly been seized as part of the investigation.
The identities of two deceased persons have been reported as Upendrasinh Gohil and Narendrasinh Yadav. Officials have indicated that the circumstances surrounding another reported death were still being verified, with medical and forensic examinations expected to establish the exact cause.
Four suspected bootleggers have been detained by police in connection with the case. Investigators are trying to establish where the liquor came from, who supplied it and how it reached the victims. A forensic science team has also been involved in examining the suspected liquor and other evidence collected from the scene.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by illicit liquor in Gujarat, which is a dry state where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited. Despite the prohibition law, illegal liquor networks continue to pose a challenge for law-enforcement agencies.
Authorities are also urging people who may have consumed the suspected liquor to seek immediate medical attention if they develop any symptoms. Medical teams have been instructed to closely monitor those undergoing treatment.
The latest incident has raised fresh concerns over the circulation of counterfeit liquor bottles and the risks faced by people consuming alcohol from unauthorised sources. Police and district officials are continuing their probe to determine the exact contents of the liquor and establish whether any toxic substance was involved.
Officials said further details will emerge after medical reports, forensic analysis and the ongoing investigation are completed.
