‘For perfume manufacturing’: Over 200 litres of methanol led to Pune hooch tragedy
Investigators said the supplier allegedly sold the chemical without insisting on the requisite documentation
The state excise department has also registered three cases. The probe has since been handed over to the Maharashtra CID. (Express Photo) THE INVESTIGATION into the hooch tragedy in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad that has claimed 15 lives has revealed that the prime accused allegedly procured 200 litres of poisonous methanol through an online business-to-business platform after falsely claiming to the supplier that it was required for manufacturing perfumes. Investigators said the supplier allegedly sold the chemical without insisting on the requisite documentation or carrying out adequate verification.
The consumption of suspected methanol-laced illicit liquor has claimed 15 lives so far — 11 in the Phugewadi-Dapodi belt of Pimpri Chinchwad and four in Pune’s Hadapsar area — between May 26 and May 28. Seven others who consumed the same brew remain hospitalised, some of them critical. Investigators are also examining several other deaths that may be linked to the incident, though official confirmation is awaited.
Separate cases have been registered at Dapodi and Hadapsar police stations under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Prohibition Act against those allegedly involved in the illicit liquor network.
The state excise department has also registered three cases. The probe has since been handed over to the Maharashtra CID.
The CID has said six accused have till now been arrested. Arrested suspects include Karnelsingh Virka, his son Gurmangatsingh, Yogesh Ramchandra Vhankade who was using the alias Sikandar Rathod, Radheshyam Prajapatim Kalpesh Agrawal and one more. All the accused are currently in police custody.
A senior officer said on the condition of anonymity, “Accused Vhankade operated as a transporter and bulk supplier of illicit liquor, distributing it to four bootlegging dens in Dapodi and Phugewadi in Pimpri Chinchwad, and Hadapsar and Gokhale Nagar in Pune for nearly 20 to 22 months.”
“He procured liquor from Prajapati in Uruli Kanchan and increased his margins by diluting it with water before resale. A 35-litre consignment purchased for Rs 1,900 was allegedly diluted to nearly double the quantity and sold for about Rs 2,700, yielding a profit of around Rs 800 per batch. Police said that during a visit to Rajasthan some time ago, Vhankade learnt that adding methanol could increase the liquor’s potency,” the officer added.
The officer added, “After returning to Pune, Vhankade allegedly began searching for a source of methanol. As most sellers offered only small quantities, he turned to an online business-to-business marketplace and posted a purchase query. He was subsequently contacted by several suppliers, including one from Bhiwandi whose premises have since been raided.”
According to police, when asked the purpose of the purchase, Vhankade allegedly claimed he needed the methanol for manufacturing perfumes.
“Despite the absence of a GST number, the supplier allegedly sold him more than 200 litres of methanol for Rs 17,500, which was delivered to Pune and collected by him around the end of April. Police said the methanol was later mixed with liquor at a rented premises in Khadki linked to Karnelsingh and distributed to four locations, three of which reported consumption of the contaminated liquor,” the officer said.
Asked about the differing death toll figures reported in the media, a CID officer said, “As of now, 15 deaths have been conclusively linked to the consumption of methanol-laced liquor. There have been a few other deaths that may also be connected to the incident, but those links are still being verified.”
A CID press statement issued on Sunday mentioned the death toll to be 15 and number of arrests to six till now.
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