Ahmedabad: At least 36 people died due to the consumption of illicit liquor, all of whom were receiving treatment at the Civil Hospital in Bhavnagar after suffering the side effects of the consumption. The hospital authorities have confirmed that out of 47 people who were admitted to the hospital, 36 succumbed while receiving treatment. IG Ashok Yadav has constituted an SIT and ordered an investigation. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has taken up the probe.
Gujarat Director General of Police Ashish Bhatia earlier said the police have arrested 14 people so far who were involved in the manufacturing of spurious liquor. One of the accused Jayesh, in charge of a godown in Aslali's private company, according to police, stole 600 liters of chemicals from his own factory. After this, he along with other bootleggers sold it to a man named Pintu from Chokdi village of Barwala. In return, Jayesh got Rs 40,000. Pintu then used the chemical to make the poisonous liquor and sold it in villages including Rojid, Chandarwa, and Devgna.
Also read: Gujarat: 8 dead after drinking spurious liquor
Apart from this, this liquor was also supplied by him to the rural and commercial villages of Ahmedabad. Police have so far seized 460 liters of methanol alcohol in this incident. A fact-finding committee has also been formed by the state government regarding the fake liquor sale in Ahmedabad rural area and Botad, in which Ahmedabad traffic JCB Subhash Trivedi will conduct the entire investigation.
This committee will prepare an investigation report on the entire scandal in the next three days. After this, this report will be handed over to the state government. Regarding the incident in Sojid village of Barwala, the village sarpanch had earlier informed the local police about the sale of country liquor by making a written application in March. It is also believed that this incident took place without any concrete action regarding that matter, against which Gujarat DGP Ashish Bhatia said that the Sarpanch's application came in the month of March and after that 6 cases have also been filed considering the application.
Alcohol worth Rs 221 crore confiscated in Gujarat in 2 years
Liquor worth a whopping Rs 221 crore has been seized in Gujarat in the last two years. Police and government have woken up after the incident in Rojid village of Barwala. Raids have started on country breweries. The Gujarat government has officially admitted that in the last two years, 4046 accused of dealing liquor and drugs are yet to be arrested, of which the highest number of 773 accused are from Valsad, who are absconding.
