Bhavnagar Hooch toll rises to 9; 17 hospitalised, 3 in ICU

Gandhinagar: Nine people had lost their lives to spurious liquor in Bhavnagar by Saturday evening, while 17 people were still hospitalised and three people were reported to be critical.

Police arrested 13 people in this connection while naming 21 in the first information report, including a Madhya Pradesh resident, Raees, as the mastermind.

Reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed that the seized brew contained 38.59% methanol and only 0.94% ethanol, which turned the liquor fatally toxic, said officials.


Police probe revealed that the raw material was initially brought from Madhya Pradesh, and the final product was made in Bhavnagar.

The police maintain that basic raw materials, methanol, empty bottles, bottle caps and Royal Stag labels were sourced from different locations in Ahmedabad and taken to Bhavnagar for final bottling. One of the manufacturers, Narendra Singh Yadav, also reportedly died after consuming the liquor.