Hooch kills 21 in Amritsar, supplier among 10 held; DSP, SHO suspended

Confirming the deaths, Maninder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar Rural, said, the victims are from seven villages — Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Talwandi Khumman, Karnala, Bhangwan and Therewal villages — all under Majitha Assembly constituency.

As the toll climbed, Opposition parties attacked the Aam Aadmi Party government and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The CM, meanwhile, visited the affected villages, met the families of the victims and vowed to ensure the strictest punishment for the culprits. “These are not deaths, these are murders. Such a tragedy could not have occurred without political, bureaucratic, or police support,” said Mann.

SSP Maninder Singh said they received information around 9:30 pm Monday that several people have died after consuming spurious liquor. ‟We took action immediately and rounded up four people, including main distributor Prabhjeet Singh. Following his interrogation, we identified Sahib Singh as kingpin of the racket and arrested him,” said SSP.

Relatives of the hooch tragedy victims mourn as they gather at a gurudwara to meet Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (PTI)

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation revealed that methanol was used to prepare the toxic liquor. ‟Sahib Singh procured methanol online. The suppliers of methanol have been identified as Pankaj Kumar alias Sahil and Arvind Kumar, owners of Sahil Chemicals in Ludhiana,” he said.

A chemical compound, methanol is poisonous when ingested and is illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, which is the normal consumable alcohol.

The arrested accused includes another distributor Kulbir Singh, local sellers Ninder Kaur, Sahib Singh, Gurjant Singh, Arun alias Kala and Sikander Singh alias Pappu.

SSP Maninder Singh said that Prabhjeet Singh had received methanol in a 50-litre jerry can from Sahib Singh. The same was supplied by Sahil Chemicals. Prabhjit diluted it and sold it to people in two-litre packets. “We are tracing and seizing each packet,” SSP said.

The SSP said the probe also revealed that another consignment of methanol, ordered by Sahib Singh, from the Delhi-based firm is also in transit. Excise and police teams have been dispatched to retrieve and seize the consignment as soon as it arrives, SSP, said, adding 600 litres of methanol have been seized during a joint operation by Patiala Police and the Excise Department based on inputs from Amritsar Rural Police.

Yadav said two separate FIRs 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.

Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said most of the victims were daily wagers.

He also confirmed the suspension of DSP Amolak Singh and SHO Avtar Singh. “They have been suspended for gross negligence in discharging their official duties, which resulted in the fatal incident. Departmental inquiries have been initiated,” he added.

The police identified the victims as Major Singh, Paramjit Singh, Tasbeer Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Sarabjeet Singh, Romy, Ganju Ram, Karnail Singh, Ajit Singh, Joginder Singh, Iqbal Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Robanjit Singh, Balbir Singh, Raja, Amarpal Singh, Kaka, Gagan, Satpal Singh, Joginder Singh, and Mukhtar Singh.

Earlier, DC Sawhney, along with DIG (Border Range) Satinder Singh and SSP Maninder Singh visited the affected villages. The district administration also deputed medical teams. ‟They are visiting door to door and getting tests done. Even those who consumed liquor but are asymptomatic arr being tested,” Sawhney told reporters.

She said the victims had consumed the spurious liquor either on Sunday or Monday and started vomiting soon after.

CM Mann announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin each deceased and said that the state government will bear the entire expense of education of the children of the victims. Every possible help in terms of jobs will be extended to the families, he said, adding that apart from the DSP and the SHO, two officers of the Excise department too have been suspended.

Partap Singh Bajwa , Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha said that AAP government should accept responsibility for not being able to prevent such incidents.

“It is a failed government and a failed chief minister. We hold Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema responsible for this and he should resign immediately,” said Bajwa after visiting the affected villages. He also demanded a judicial inquiry.

Picking up CM’s remarks that such a tragedy could not have occurred without political, bureaucratic, or police support, Bajwa said, ‟I agree with him. If the liquor mafia is flourishing under his nose, he is either complicit—or incompetent.”

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, whose wife Ganieve Kaur represents Majitha Assembly constituency, alleged that the state government was trying to shield an accused and was involved in a “cover-up”.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh sought the resignation of Mann over the deaths in the hooch tragedy. ‟This incident is another proof of the failure of the AAP government. Mann should resign while taking moral responsibility for the incident,” he said.