A total of 12 people lost their lives, and more than 10 persons were taken ill after they allegedly consumed spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Sunday, officials said. In the aftermath of the hooch tragedy, officials have launched a probe, health screening drives as well as the sealing of liquor shops in the affected area.

Concerns have begun emerging over the alleged circulation of illegal and counterfeit liquor, as authorities investigate the source and nature of the liquor consumed by the victims.

MP CM Dr Yadav orders probe

Post-incident, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Dr Mohan Yadav has ordered a probe into the deaths and has vowed strict action against the ones found responsible.

CM Dr Yadav said ministers and senior administrative officials have been directed to reach the affected area with immediate effect and monitor the situation. He said, “We will take the strictest possible action and conduct an inquiry. Our government will absolutely not tolerate such incidents.”

However, the exact cause behind the deaths still remains unfounded. Preliminary post-mortem reports are awaited, and officials said the final picture would surface only after medical examinations, forensic tests and the ongoing probe.

Concurrently, the authorities are also examining the type and source of the liquor allegedly consumed by the ones who died.

Questions raised over alleged fake liquor

The incident has again put the spotlight on the alleged sale of illegal and counterfeit liquor in the district.

As per local reports, a liquor contractor had recently approached the excise department over the alleged sale of a suspected fake liquor brand being marketed as ‘Bombay Whisky.’ Allegedly, no action had been taken despite the complaint.

Licensed liquor contractors had also voiced concerns over illegal and counterfeit liquor during a meeting with excise officials four days earlier. The deaths have now prompted questions over the efficacy of monitoring and enforcement by the excise department.

Doctors detect serious symptoms

Doctors treating the survivors of the tragedy have reported symptoms including cyanosis; a bluish discolouration of the body, and muscle rigidity. Meanwhile, the health teams, along with administrative officials, have been carrying out door to door screening in villages surrounding the affected area, including Naura and Ghugru.

Officials have appealed to the people who consumed liquor during the past 24 to 48 hours to step forward and immediately undergo a medical examination.

Sagar’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Devesh Pateria said the symptoms could indicate methyl alcohol poisoning, although this has not been confirmed yet. He warned that the possibility of more deaths could not be ruled out as several people are still receiving treatment.

6 liquor shops sealed

As a precautionary measure, officials have seized six liquor shops in the area, and are collecting samples of the suspected liquor for testing.

Police and administrative teams are persevering in efforts to probe the source of the liquor, its alleged suppliers and whether spurious liquor was responsible for the deaths.

The exact cause behind the deaths shall be established only after the probe ends, and upon the receipt of post-mortem and forensic reports.