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Amritsar hooch tragedy: Two suppliers held in Delhi as toll rises to 23
DGP says main accused Sahib Singh was in touch with Delhi-based Rishabh Jain, as revealed through his WhatsApp chat history. It’s suspected kingpin received consignment from Jain that was used to manufacture the spurious liquor in Punjab.
Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested two accused from New Delhi’s Model Town in connection with the sale of spurious liquor that claimed 23 lives in villages of Majitha sub division in Amritsar district over the past two days.
The Amritsar Rural police arrested Ravinder Jain and Rishabh Jain from the national capital for supplying raw material to one of the main accused, Sahib Singh.
Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav posted on X, “One of the main accused, Sahib Singh, was in contact with Rishabh Jain, as revealed through his WhatsApp chat history. It is suspected that Sahib Singh received a consignment from Jain, which was used to manufacture the spurious liquor in Punjab. An FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Excise Act, and investigations are underway to uncover other linkages in this illegal network.”
The police have already arrested 10 people, including the kingpin, in the incident.
Till Tuesday, 21 deaths were reported, but two more victims succumbed on Wednesday, taking the toll to 23. Both the deceased belonged to Bhangwan village. Most of the victims were daily-wagers from Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Talwandi Khumman, Karnala, Bhangwan and Therewal villages.
A police probe revealed that methanol -- a chemical used in industrial products -- was procured in bulk online to prepare the toxic brew. Methanol is a light, colourless organic chemical compound which is poisonous when ingested and is illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, which is the normal consumable alcohol.
Four officials, including Majitha deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and the local excise and taxation officer (ETO), were placed under suspension on Tuesday for negligence.
Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for the families of the deceased and said that the state government would bear the expense of education of the children of the victims.
Two cases have been registered 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) and relevant sections of the Excise Act and the SC/ST Act.
