Days after 13 people died in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district after consuming spurious liquor, police have uncovered a fake liquor manufacturing unit in Kutch and seized nearly 10,000 bottles. Three people have been detained in connection with the operation.
Inspector General of Police, Border Range, Chirag Koradiya said the makeshift factory was located in Adipur. Police seized around 9,400 empty bottles, 600 bottles containing 180 ml of suspected liquor and nearly 600 litres of chemicals from the premises.
The bottles reportedly carried labels resembling those of a popular Indian-made foreign liquor brand. The accused have been identified as Hitesh Bamaniya, a Mumbai resident, and Vijendra Jat from Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. Further investigation is underway.
The raid comes as the Gujarat Police State Monitoring Cell expands its investigation into the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy. Police have arrested 27 people so far in connection with the case.
Authorities said 67 people consumed liquor containing methanol, a highly toxic chemical, during the Bhavnagar incident. The tragedy resulted in 13 deaths and prompted a wider investigation into the illegal liquor supply chain.
Investigators are examining the source of the methanol and other chemicals, along with the transporters and individuals involved in procuring and distributing raw materials used to manufacture spurious liquor.
Gujarat is a dry state, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited. The Kutch seizure has widened the probe beyond Bhavnagar as authorities investigate possible links between illegal manufacturing units and the supply of methanol-tainted liquor.
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