A meticulously orchestrated racket involving the online procurement of industrial-grade methanol, its dilution into lethal liquor, and a network of distributors operating under the radar has led to one of Punjabs deadliest hooch tragedies in recent years. As per the police probe, the kingpin – identified as Sahib Singh – procured methanol from online chemical suppliers and, with the help of accomplices, diluted it with water to create a deceptive alcohol concoction. This toxic brew, distributed through private buses and courier networks, has already claimed 21 lives and left nine others battling for survival in ICUs across Amritsar.   The deadly trail emerged from villages surrounding Majitha — Bhangali Kalan, Marrari Kalan, Patalpuri, and Threawal, where the victims, mostly daily wage labourers, fell prey to the cheaply sold but fatal concoction. A preliminary probe led by the Punjab Police revealed that 50 litres of methanol were used to prepare 120 litres of bootleg liquor. Multiple suspects have been arrested, and two FIRs under Sections 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 61A of the Excise Act have been registered. Authorities have launched extensive raids across Punjab and even outside the State to apprehend all those connected.   The state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav confirmed the arrest of 10 accused, including ringleader Sahib Singh and local distributors Prabhjit Singh and Kulbir Singh. DGO Yadav, in a statement, said that methanol was sourced from Sahil Chemicals – a Ludhiana-based firm owned by Pankaj Kumar and Arvind Kumar. The suspects allegedly ordered the chemicals online under the guise of industrial usage and rerouted them into illicit liquor manufacturing.   The impact of this operation has been devastating. After 21 deaths and still counting, many victims are in critical condition — unable to speak, their systems ravaged by methanol poisoning. Victims are being treated at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar, with many admitted straight to the ICU in unconscious states.   Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural) Maninder Singh, who is heading the investigation, said that Prabhjit Singh — an infamous local bootlegger — played a pivotal role in the distribution chain. He diluted the methanol received from Sahib Singh and packaged it for sale in villages. Many locals, unaware of the lethal content, consumed the liquor for its affordability, said SSP Singh. He further revealed that another methanol consignment ordered from a Delhi-based firm is currently en route, with police teams on alert to seize it.   As public outrage mounts, administrative accountability has also begun to take shape. Majitha DSP Amolak Singh, and Majitha Police Station SHO Avtar Singh have been suspended for gross negligence. Their failure to act on prior intelligence allowed this racket to operate unchecked, leading to these tragic deaths, said the DGP, adding that departmental inquiries have been initiated against both officers.   Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who visited the affected villages and met affected families, described the deaths as not accidents, but murders. Announcing a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each bereaved family, Mann vowed that all culprits — regardless of their political or economic clout — would be punished. Our teams are tracing the entire supply chain, which stretches to Delhi. No one will be spared, he asserted. The Government has also committed to funding the education of the deceaseds children and offering jobs to eligible family members to ensure financial stability.   Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, who has been on the ground since the incident broke, stated that all affected villages are under medical surveillance. We are conducting door-to-door checks for early symptoms of methanol poisoning and referring symptomatic individuals to hospitals immediately, she said. The DC confirmed that relief operations are in full swing and that no effort will be spared to support the victims families.   The investigation has revealed alarming gaps in the regulation of industrial chemicals and their online sale. Several companies offering methanol online without stringent buyer verification have been identified. Punjab Police has dispatched teams to interrogate the management of these firms, particularly Sahil Chemicals in Ludhiana, from where the initial consignment was dispatched.   Local sources claimed that the illegal liquor business has long been operational in the region, thriving due to lax enforcement. We kept complaining. Everyone knew cheap liquor was being sold here. Only now, after so many deaths, is the administration responding, said a resident.   The economic backdrop of the victims, primarily daily wagers, made them susceptible to such risks. For many, this Rs 30-50 drink was the only accessible form of relaxation. They couldnt afford branded liquor. But they didnt know they were drinking poison, said a victims family member.   SSP Maninder Singh noted that the busted network is part of a larger interstate racket. From online procurement to delivery via private buses, this was a well-oiled supply chain. We suspect links to other states. More arrests are imminent, he said.   As Punjab grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, questions linger about systemic failures — ranging from regulatory loopholes in chemical sales to the absence of preventive policing in areas known for illicit liquor. The State Government has promised stringent action, but for 21 families, justice and accountability cannot come fast enough.   Fourth Major Hooch Tragedy in Punjab in 3 Years   The Majitha hooch tragedy is yet another grim addition to Punjabs growing list of illicit liquor-related deaths, marking the fourth such major incident in just three years. In 2020, the state witnessed one of its deadliest hooch tragedies when over 120 people died after consuming spurious liquor in Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Batala — an incident that shook the then Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government.   The previous year, 21 people lost their lives in a similar tragedy in Pathankot, where a woman accused of brewing the toxic concoction was arrested. Disturbing cases have also surfaced in Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur, pointing to a persistent and systemic failure in curbing the illicit liquor trade.   Despite repeated medical advisories warning against the use of industrial-grade methanol in alcohol production — known to cause irreversible blindness, organ failure, and death — such tragedies continue to expose glaring lapses in enforcement, regulation, and political will.   No One, However Influential, Will Be Spared: CM Vows Ruthless Crackdown   Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday pledged the strictest possible action against those behind the sale of spurious liquor that claimed 17 lives in Amritsar district. This is not an accident — it is murder. Lives were lost not to misfortune, but to the deliberate actions of a criminal nexus driven by profit, said Mann, after visiting the bereaved families. No one, however influential, will be spared, he declared.   The Chief Minister revealed that 10 individuals — including the alleged kingpin — have been arrested, and the entire supply chain has been mapped, with connections reaching as far as Delhi. Investigations have uncovered that 600 litres of industrial-grade methanol, ordered online, were likely used to produce the toxic brew. Every link in this chain will be broken — and punished, he said.   Mann pointed to potential political patronage shielding the hooch network. Such operations dont thrive without protection from the powerful. That angle is being thoroughly investigated, he said. Four officials — a DSP, SHO, and two Excise officers — have been suspended for their complicity or inaction.   Comparing the tragedy to the 2020 Tarn Taran hooch deaths, Mann said that the pattern was disturbingly similar. He announced Rs 10 lakh compensation per victims family, assured full state-sponsored education for their children, and promised job support where needed. These families lost their only breadwinners. My government stands with them in their grief — and in their fight for justice, he said.   Reaffirming his governments resolve under the Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh (War Against Drugs) campaign, Mann warned, This mafia exploited a moment of distraction along the border. Now, they will pay. We will dismantle this nexus — root and branch.   Major Breakthrough: 600 Litres of Methanol Seized in Patiala   In a major success for Punjabs crackdown on illicit liquor, Patiala Police and the Excise Department on Tuesday seized 600 litres of methanol in a joint operation near the Tepla police post on the Shambhu-Banur road. The consignment, traced from Delhi, is suspected to be linked to the tragic Majitha hooch case that has claimed 21 lives so far in Amritsar district.   Briefing the media at the site of the seizure, Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said that the action was taken following specific intelligence inputs shared by DIG Border Range and under the direct supervision of DGP Gaurav Yadav. The operation was conducted as part of the state governments intensified campaign against the liquor mafia and narcotics networks under Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh.   The intercepted truck (PB 10 H 1577) was carrying three drums of methanol — commonly misused in making spurious liquor — concealed amid other cargo. The truck driver has been arrested, and an extensive probe is underway to unearth the entire supply chain.   Had this consignment reached its destination, it could have triggered another major tragedy, endangering countless lives, SSP Varun Sharma warned. Preliminary investigations suggested that the methanol was to be used in illegal liquor manufacturing.   This is a major blow to the illicit liquor network operating across state lines, said SSP Sharma, reiterating the Punjab Polices and Excise Departments resolve to eliminate the menace of toxic liquor and protect public health.

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