Trial of 18 accused in Sangrur 2024 hooch tragedy continues
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Sangrur, Sartaj Singh Chahal said that all 18 individuals accused in the Sangrur hooch case are now facing trial before the additional session judge in a special court.
The Amritsar hooch tragedy, which has claimed at least 21 lives, comes 14 months after the Sangrur incident that left 20 dead in March 2024 — a case whose trial is still ongoing. The back-to-back tragedies have punctured the Punjab government’s claims of clamping down on liquor mafia.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Sangrur, Sartaj Singh Chahal said that all 18 individuals accused in the Sangrur hooch case are now facing trial before the additional session judge in a special court. “While some individuals initially taken into custody were granted bail, the remaining 18 accused are currently on trial. These accused have been charged and the process of recording their testimonies is ongoing,” the SSP said on Tuesday.
In March 2024, 20 daily-wage labourers had died in an illicit liquor tragedy in Sangrur, chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s home district, again exposing the easy availability of toxic alcohol in villages through a well-organised network.
Deputy superintendent of police (DSP), Dirba, Rupinder Kaur Bajwa, said shared a detailed breakdown of the case. “Initially, 24 individuals were identified as accused, but after investigation, six were granted bail, leaving 18 persons lodged in jails across Sangrur and Bathinda. A total of three FIRs were registered in response to the tragedy in Dirba, Sunam and Cheema police stations,” the DSP said.
Dirba FIR
Four accused, currently held in Sangrur jail, face charges under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (murder), Section 34 IPC (common intention), Section 120-B IPC (criminal conspiracy), violations of the Excise Act, relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Sections 468, 469, 471 IPC (forgery), and Section 328 IPC (administering poisonous substances).
Cheema FIR
Six accused have been named in the FIR. One woman is jailed in Bathinda, while five men are in Sangrur jail. Charges include Excise Act violations and Sections 120-B, 302, 468, 469, 471 and 328 of the IPC.
Sunam FIR
Eight individuals were accused—seven men in Sangrur jail and one woman in Bathinda jail. They face charges under Sections 120-B, 302, 468, 469, 471 of the IPC and Excise Act violations and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act.
Investigations last year had confirmed the presence of methanol, a lethal industrial chemical, in the illicit liquor that led to the deaths.
