Two more men have lost their lives to the methanol-laced liquor brewed in Bhavnagar in mid-August, taking the death toll in “dry” Gujarat’s latest hooch tragedy to 13. Three patients are still under treatment.
Mukesh Manilal Damor, 36, died late on Saturday night, and Bhargav Upadhyay, 42, was declared dead at 10.25 am on Sunday, said Bhavnagar District Collector Manish Kumar Bansal.
The collector said two of the remaining patients were at Sir Takhtasinhji General Hospital and the third one at Pulse Hospital. The condition of all three was said to be stable.
The State Monitoring Cell, which is investigating the tragedy, has arrested 14 of 21 accused named in the FIR registered at the Vartej police station. A local court has remanded them in police custody till September 1.
Sources said that Narendrasinh Yadav alias Doctor, the brewer believed to have concocted this batch of toxic drink, was not the only one who had come from Madhya Pradesh to work on the batch. He died by consuming the drink, which contained 38.59 per cent methanol.
The Indian Express has learnt that the State Monitoring Cell is trying to detain the other accused people from Madhya Pradesh and acquire transit warrants to bring them to Gujarat.
More arrests are likely to follow by the end of Sunday or on Monday morning, sources said.
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Inspector General Gagandeep Gambhir of the State Monitoring Cell reached Bhavnagar on Saturday as part of the investigation.
The list of victims who died over the past five days
August 18
1. Upendrasinh Chandrasinh Gohil, 25
2. Narendrasinh Yadav alias Doctor, 47, Indore, MP
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
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