{
  "id": 9444720,
  "title": "Sagar hooch tragedy: Two more key accused held after encounter; 39 arrested so far",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/sagar-hooch-tragedy-two-more-key-accused-held-after-encounter-39",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T23:45:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh/sagar-hooch-tragedy-two-more-key-accused-held-after-encounter-39-arrested-so-far/article71500299.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two prominent suspects in the Sagar hooch tragedy, which has resulted in 20 deaths so far, were apprehended in a brief encounter on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The suspects, Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur and his accomplice Ashish Sahu, were captured around 3 a.m. near Malthone area, located about 50 kilometres from Sagar district headquarters. Lodhi was injured in his leg during the encounter. The police had received information on Tuesday night that Lodhi had entered the district to seek assistance from a known associate. Upon surrounding him at a location, Lodhi began firing at the police, leading to a self-defense exchange where both he and Ashish Sahu were taken into custody. Lodhi, one of the primary suspects, had been at large since September 6 following the incident. The police have labeled him as a crucial figure in a counterfeit liquor smuggling network that has recently come to light. Lodhi owned a government-licensed liquor shop in Banda’s Barethi village, allegedly using it to distribute illicit and counterfeit liquor, and is further accused of conspiring to produce such liquor, which is believed to have caused fatalities due to its elevated methyl alcohol content. Additional Superintendent of Police Narendra Singh Solanki informed The Hindu that Lodhi had been hiding in various states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat since the tragedy, and that his criminal history includes 11 cases since 2010, involving several instances of liquor smuggling and possession of large quantities of illegal liquor.",
  "summary": "The police fired in self-defence and he was injured in his leg after which Ashish Sahu and he were taken into custody, said Sagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Sujania",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}