A liquor plan in dry state, a methanol error: What’s behind 7 Gujarat deaths

As the death toll due to consumption of spurious liquor in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat rises, police are trying to stem the tide of potential victims. On Thursday, the official death toll reached seven, with two more suspected victims reportedly succumbing to methanol poisoning. However, their toxicology and post-mortem reports are awaited.

The district collector confirmed that seven individuals who consumed the tainted liquor had died, while 32 were still under treatment and nine had been discharged from hospitals. Police have arrested 13 of the 21 named accused in the case, but seven individuals remain at large. The deceased include Upendrasinh Chandrasinh Gohil, Kartik Ashwin Makwana, Ghanshyamsinh Jaypalsinh Jadeja, Kanaksinh Hanubha Gohil, Narendrasinh Yadav, Jay Jitu Bhatti, and Hitesh Dileep Parmar, all from Bhavnagar.

The latest confirmed death was on the night of August 19, when Hitesh Parmar, a teacher, was found slumped over in his bed with a glass of the poisonous liquor spilled on the floor. The investigation reveals that the methanol-laced liquor was made by Gautam Solanki and his associates after purchasing raw materials from Ahmedabad.

They made 51 cartons of liquor in the first round, which was sold, and then made another 25 cartons using methanol in the third batch. The SMC has warned the public not to consume a specific brand of IMFL liquor with a barcode of 8901522000665, and urged anyone with such bottles to destroy them immediately.