India

Sagar Hooch Deaths: Death Toll Climbs to at Least 15 as Family Alleges Body Withheld

By Shruti Tomar

The death toll from a toxic liquor tragedy in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district climbed further on Tuesday, with three more fatalities reported across three villages. Officials said 13 of the roughly 150 people hospitalised remained in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Bundelkhand Medical College.

District collector Pratibha Pal confirmed 15 deaths so far, though health officers at Banda Civil Hospital and Bundelkhand Medical College put the figure at 23. Adding to the distress, the family of Krishna Kumar Lodhi, one of those who died, staged a protest alleging that the medical college administration had not released his body despite confirming his death. The college administration declined to comment on the claim.

The crisis began after 11 people died from consuming spurious liquor sold at Rs 70 per bottle on September 7, prompting the state government to order a magisterial inquiry. Police have since arrested 14 people, including Chandu Raja Rajput, a leader of the Karni Sena organisation and a village head, for allegedly supplying the tainted liquor. The main accused, government contractor Manish Lodhi, remains at large.

Additional police superintendent Jaiveer Singh Bhadoriya said officers had raided Manish Lodhi's residence, describing him as the suspected key operator behind the illicit production of country-made liquor. "His employee allegedly prepared the toxic liquor that led to the deaths," Bhadoriya said. Revenue officials have also surveyed the properties of those accused, in what officials indicated could be a prelude to punitive action such as demolition.

Authorities have banned the sale of the suspected liquor brands linked to the deaths. An investigator said the probe is now examining packaging and possible adulteration, with three teams having collected nearly 100 samples from shops, factories, and the accused's premises. "Loose caps and unusual packaging were found in bottles of the spurious liquor," the investigator noted, adding that it remains unclear whether the toxic liquor originated from an authorised distillery or was later adulterated by Manish Lodhi. "As of now, adulteration has not been found at the distillery level," the investigator said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the state's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of overseeing what he called India's most corrupt government and alleging that governance had collapsed in Madhya Pradesh. "Spurious liquor has devastated families in Sagar, yet the state will likely respond with the usual cycle of arrests, suspensions, and inquiries," he said. He also referenced recent deaths in Indore linked to contaminated water and child fatalities in Chhindwara caused by toxic cough syrup, stating, "In Madhya Pradesh, medicines are toxic, liquor is toxic, and water is toxic." Gandhi called for an impartial investigation and demanded accountability beyond low-level employees, extending to anyone found negligent or complicit.

In response to the tragedy, district collector Pal has ordered a 10-day de-addiction and awareness campaign across more than 100 villages, running until September 19. The initiative will involve panchayat secretaries, patwaris, self-help groups, non-governmental organisations, and cultural troupes conducting street plays, community meetings, and door-to-door outreach to promote a drug-free society.

The Sagar incident is the latest in a series of hooch tragedies in India. In August, four people died in Bihar's Patna district after consuming suspected spurious alcohol.