MP confirms 20 hooch deaths in report to HC

The Madhya Pradesh government submitted to the state high court that 20 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Sagar district and cause of death of another seven was not clear

Published on: Sep 23, 2026, 07:49:00 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Monika Pandey, Bhopal/Jabalpur

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The Madhya Pradesh government submitted to the state high court that 20 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Sagar district and cause of death of another seven was not clear.

Full compensation of ₹4 lakh was paid to who died due to consuming hooch, ₹2 lakh was given to others, the government said in a status report filed in the court.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alpesh Yeshwant Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding an impartial inquiry and strict action against the accused granting the petitioner liberty to present their case before the judicial commission set up to probe the incident.

During the hearing, the government informed the court that the district and police administrations were taking action against the accused.

The government said that 102 patients were admitted to civil hospital Banda, district hospital Sagar and Bundelkhand Medical College, Sagar, and free medicines and treatment were provided.

“Post-mortem of 20 deceased persons was conducted and arrangements were made to transport the bodies to their homes. From September 11 to 19, 70 health camps were organized for discharged patients and 1,969 patients were medically examined,” the report said.

The government said a commission headed by Justice (retired) VPS Chauhan to conduct a judicial inquiry has been constituted.

It also said of the 52 accused, 32 arrests have been arrested. As many as seven composite liquor shops within 20 km were sealed and samples were collected, government said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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