Pune, May 29 (IANS) At least 13 people have died and several others are reported to be in critical condition after allegedly consuming toxic liquor in Maharashtra’s Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas.

An FIR has been registered at Dapodi Police Station under Crime No. 114/2026. The case has been filed under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 123 (causing hurt by means of harmful substances with intent to commit a crime), along with other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.

Vinay Chaube, Police Commissioner, Pimpri-Chinchwad City, said that five accused are currently in police custody, while three others are in the custody of the State Excise Department.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken serious note of the tragedy and directed police commissioners in both Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad to take strict action against those responsible. He has instructed officials to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that nobody involved in the racket escapes punishment.

Initially, seven deaths were officially confirmed, and three people were undergoing treatment in hospitals. However, later reports indicated that the death toll had risen to 13.

The investigation has now been handed over to the Crime Branch.

The tragedy has left several families devastated.

Grieving family members of the victims recounted the horrifying sequence of events that unfolded after the consumption of the suspected poisonous liquor.

A family member of some of the deceased from the Pandhare Mala locality in Pune described the incident in detail.

“Five people from this locality were affected. All of them lived here. Three of them were from our family — Arun, Rahul and Yashwant. Soon after consuming the liquor, they started vomiting within about 10 minutes and complained of severe stomach pain. This happened yesterday,” the family member told IANS.

The daughter of one of the deceased, Arun Vaman Dadar, also spoke about her father’s condition before his death.

“He was my father. He consumed alcohol regularly and used to drink day and night. After drinking, he would often skip meals and fall asleep. Yesterday, he returned after work and consumed liquor again. He had experienced dizziness four or five times earlier as well, but we never imagined it would become so serious. He used to consume country-made liquor,” she said.

According to NDTV, police have also registered a separate case at Dapodi Police Station against Yogesh Wankhede, who has been accused of supplying the illegal and toxic liquor.

Atul Kanade, Superintendent of Police of the State Excise Department, stated that the accused allegedly mixed the toxic chemical methanol into the liquor, resulting in multiple deaths.

According to reports, Yogesh Wankhede was allegedly the main distributor of the toxic liquor in Hadapsar, Pune, and the Phugewadi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad. Police have intensified efforts to identify and apprehend others linked to the illegal liquor network.

–IANS

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