Karni Sena leader to history-sheeter: How Sagar’s hooch network worked

At least 12 people died in Sagar after allegedly consuming illicit liquor, with investigators tracing the suspected supply chain to a Lalitpur-based operation in Uttar Pradesh. (Express Photo)

The police probe into the Sagar hooch deaths has moved from the village sellers who allegedly handed over cheap liquor to drinkers to the people investigators believe were behind its manufacture — including a Karni Sena leader, a licensed liquor contractor and a history-sheeter from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.

Police have now identified 30 accused, of whom 17 have been arrested, according to the latest police figures.

The alleged operation, investigators say, involved sourcing spirit and other material, preparing counterfeit liquor in agricultural fields, packaging it as a familiar brand and then pushing it through a network of sellers into villages. One of the alleged suppliers, police say, himself drank the liquor and died.

At the centre of the operation was Chandrabhan Singh Rajput alias Chandu, a resident of Tatarwara whom police have described as the prime accused and as a divisional president of the Karni Sena.

According to Sagar Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujaniya, Chandrabhan allegedly worked with Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, a licensed liquor contractor operating a vend at Barethi, and Shivanjay Rajput, Chandrabhan’s relative.

“Upon questioning the accused, it was revealed that the Divisional President of Karni Sena, Chandrabhan Singh, his associate Manish Lodhi, and a distant relative named Shivanjay had collaborated to produce the liquor using spirit brought to a maize field,” Sujaniya said.

Tracing ‘illegal’ liquor

Police now allege that the actual manufacturing took place in agricultural fields in Tatarwara ahead of the Krishna Janmashtami festival. Investigators have reportedly recovered empty bottles, labels and other material used in the alleged manufacture and packaging of the liquor.

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Police say around 50 cases of liquor carrying the Sagar Gold label were prepared and subsequently moved into a nearby village.

The investigation then led police to Ravi Lakhera, a 45-year-old alleged history-sheeter and smuggler who had been wanted in connection with the case. He was arrested on Friday after a short exchange of fire with a police team.

According to police, Barayatha Police received information that Lakhera was hiding near Hanuman Tong Temple along the Banda-Barayatha road. Teams cordoned off the forest area.

When police confronted him, Lakhera allegedly opened fire at the police at least three times. Police returned fire, hitting him in the leg before arresting him, according to Sujaniya’s account. A country-made 12-bore pistol, cartridges, spent casings and a motorcycle were recovered, while two alleged accomplices escaped in the darkness

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Police said Manish Lodhi, who allegedly procured the material needed for making the liquor, worked with Lakhera to source the spirit and manufacture the illicit liquor.

“When questioned about the source of the spirit, it emerged that Manish Lodhi — who had procured the materials — worked with an associate named Ravi Lakhera, a known history-sheeter and smuggler, to source and manufacture the liquor,” said a senior police officer.

Lakhera, originally from Mahoba and residing in Lalitpur, has around 25 criminal cases registered against him, police said. He had also previously been arrested in connection with an illicit-liquor case in Lalitpur. Police sources say he was familiar with liquor manufacturing and with procuring the materials required for it.

Police are now examining whether Lakhera’s earlier alleged involvement in an illicit-liquor operation in Lalitpur is connected to the Sagar case. This aspect remains under investigation; Uttar Pradesh authorities have separately disputed earlier claims that the Sagar liquor was sourced from Lalitpur and have asked Madhya Pradesh police to provide evidence of such a link.

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The police say the alleged network did not simply disappear once the first deaths were reported.

“After the deaths started happening, the racket’s operatives started destroying the remaining spurious liquor, but the police, through timely raids, managed to seize a significant portion of the spurious liquor,” the officer said.

Twelve died, and several were hospitalised after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Saturday. Police investigation has since uncovered a suspected interstate supply chain linked to Lalitpur in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, with 14 of 30 accused arrested and three FIRs registered on complaints by victims’ families.

The suspected spurious-liquor tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district has claimed 15 lives, according to police, with several others falling ill after consuming liquor in villages including Nauraj, Patan, Ghooghra Khurd and Bamura. The deaths were reported from September 5 onward, prompting police to register cases at Banda and Vinayaka police stations and launch a wider crackdown. Police have identified 30 accused and arrested 17, while investigators are probing the source and manufacture of the suspected toxic liquor and its distribution through village-level sellers.

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Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More