Inter-state gang behind Sagar spurious liquor tragedy: MP Police

An inter-state fake liquor gang sourced raw material from Delhi, then manufactured and sold adulterated alcohol that killed at least 20 people in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district earlier this month, police said, adding that one of the makers died after drinking the spurious product himself.

The probe revealed that Dinesh Shivhare, a resident of Morena, manufactured the spurious liquor – branded “Sagar Gold” -- and was later hospitalised after drinking it. He died from alcohol poisoning after gang members got him hurriedly discharged from the hospital, fearing discovery.

Police seized machines used to produce bottles, sealing equipment, 11,050 empty bottles, raw capsules for plastic bottles, and other materials during raids conducted across the state.

So far, police have named 52 people as suspects in the case, arresting 37. The primary suspects, Manish Lodhi and Siddharth Kushwaha are yet to be arrested.

“On September 6, police received reports of deaths in villages under Banda police station due to spurious liquor consumption. Separate cases were registered and the main accused Ravi Lakhera and Karni Sena leader Chandrabhan alias Chandu Raja were arrested,” Anurag Sujania, Sagar superintendent of police, said.

“In the interrogation, the accused revealed a wide network. Ravi Lakhera, who was released on bail in a fake liquor manufacturing case in Lalitpur just 15 days ago, confessed that he, along with Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, and Ashish Sahu, planned to manufacture and supply fake liquor under the cover of licensed contracts,” Sujania said.

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“Another accused, Chandu Raja alias Chandrabhan, admitted to partnerships with licensed contractors Siddharth Kushwaha and Manish Lodhi to facilitate illegal sales through licensed shops. Further investigation showed that Shivanjay Rajput and Rohit Patel connected Chandu Raja with Dinesh Shivhare of Morena, who brought raw materials including industrial spirit from Delhi and bottle wrappers from Gwalior,” said the SP.

Fake liquor was manufactured at Chandu Raja’s house in Tatarwara and distributed it in neighbouring villages.

“Chandu Raja gave consent to Dinesh Shivhare and his team to make fake liquor in village Tatarwara, so that more profit could be earned. The liquid used for making liquor had come to Sagar by transport. Chandu Raja sold the boxes of the liquor through his associates under the guise of licensed shop to the commission agents of nearby villages of Tatarwara village Nauraj, Gugra, Chhapri, Jagthar, Bamurabheda, Patan and surrounding villages,” Sujania said.

“After tasting this fake adulterated liquor, accused Dinesh Shivhare and associate Deva alias Devendra Jatav became serious,” said the officer.

Shivhare was admitted to a private hospital in Bhopal by the other suspects on September 5. Next day, his condition deteriorated excessively and accused realised the liquor had turned toxic. So (even) in serious condition, they got him discharged from the hospital and sent him to Morena. He died on the way. And Deva alias Devendra Jatav lost his eyesight.

A police team arrested a bottle supplier, Pankaj Rai, and, acting on his information, raided the factory operating in Rai Colony in Gwalior.

In investigations conducted by a separate police team, the owner of RN Chemical, Anup Giri, who sent chemicals from Delhi to Sagar, was taken into custody and on questioning, confessed that he had sent five plastic drums of industrial spirit/thinner from Delhi to Sagar by transport. Giri has been arrested.