In the aftermath of seven deaths due to contaminated liquor, authorities in Gujarat s Bhavnagar have warned the public against bottles of a whisky brand with a particular barcode. The move is ironic in a state that has been under prohibition since 1960s In the aftermath of seven deaths due to contaminated liquor, authorities in Gujarat s Bhavnagar have warned the public against bottles of a whisky brand with a particular barcode. The move is ironic...
In the aftermath of seven deaths due to contaminated liquor, authorities in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar have warned the public against bottles of a whisky brand with a particular barcode. The move is ironic in a state that has been under prohibition since 1960s.
The State Monitoring Cell, Gujarat’s specialised agency to implement prohibition, has found in its investigation that the seven victims drank from bottles with a common barcode: 8901522000665. This barcode was printed on bottles of the IMFL – Indian-Made Foreign Liquor – seized and found to contain contaminated liquor.
Senior police officers The Indian Express spoke to have not commented on how many such bottles have been recovered, and how many are estimated to be out in the market. “Everyone is requested to note that the photo of the bottle and the sticker on it, which was consumed by people at Vartej Police Station in Bhavnagar, due to which people died and were seriously injured, is presented below. If any person has such a bottle or alcohol with a sticker on it, then they should immediately destroy it and not consume it,” the State Monitoring Cell said in a statement.
“If any person has consumed the bottle or alcohol with the sticker shown below, they are requested to immediately get their health checked at the nearest hospital. Keep in mind the barcode mentioned in the photo of the bottle and the number shown below it,” it added.
The investigation so far has revealed that an ill-informed attempt to distill liquor led to the tragedy. In fact, one of those allegedly involved in the liquor-making is among the victims.
Forensic lab reports have shown that the drink consumed by the victims contained 38.59 per cent methanol, a highly toxic substance not found in licensed alcoholic beverages.
The dead have been identified as Upendrasinh Chandrasinh Gohil (25), Kartik Ashwin Makwana (40), Ghanshyamsinh Jaypalsinh Jadeja (49), Kanaksinh Hanubha Gohil (37), Narendrasinh Yadav alias Doctor (47), Jay Jitu Bhatti (35), and Hitesh Dileep Parmar (42). Police have named 21 accused in the case, including Narendrasinh Yadav, who died after consuming the toxic liquor. Thirteen people have been arrested so far.
The FIR identifies Gautam Solanki, a Gujarat-based bootlegger, as the alleged ringleader of the racket. It says Solanki connected with Raees, an accused from Madhya Pradesh, and they spoke about distilling liquor. “Thereafter, Gautam, Raees and Zubair (a resident of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh), went to Ahmedabad to purchase raw materials. They transported a white liquid, methanol, bottles and stickers to Bhavnagar. They made 51 cartons of liquor in the first round,” the FIR says, adding that Solanki and Jatin, his brother-in-law, sold this first batch.
“The second batch of liquor they made was so bad that they had to destroy it. Thereafter, Raees consulted Narendrasinh Yadav alias Doctor (a resident of Madhya Pradesh) to make the third batch, in which they used methanol. They made 25 cartons of this methanol-laced liquor and distributed it among various bootleggers,” the FIR says.
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More