Gujarat Hooch Tragedy: 2 Police Superintendents Transferred, 6 Cops Suspended

The Gujarat Home Department transferred the Botad and Ahmedabad superintendents of police and suspended six other police officials.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Gujarat Home Department transferred the Botad and Ahmedabad superintendents of police and suspended six other police officials on Thursday, 28 July, following the deaths of at least 42 people who consumed spurious liquor.

The police’s preliminary investigation revealed that small-time bootleggers from various villages in Gujarat’s Botad district mixed methyl alcohol or methanol, a poisonous industrial solvent, and water to make spurious liquor. It furthered that the bootleggers sold the liquor to villagers for Rs 20 per pouch.

The police added that according to forensic analysis, it is established that the victims consumed methyl alcohol.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Raj Kumar said, “We have transferred Botad SP Karanraj Vaghela and Ahmedabad SP Virendrasingh Yadav. Six other police officials, including two deputy SPs, have been placed under suspension.”

The suspended officials are Ahmedabad Dholka division Deputy SP NV Patel, Botad Deputy SP SK Trivedi, Dhandhuka police station's Inspector KP Jadeja, Dhandhuka division’s Circle Police Inspector SB Chaudhari, and Botad Sub-Inspectors BG Vala and Shailendrasinh Rana, news agency PTI reported.

Letters issued by the Gujarat Home Department said that the officials were suspended for “dereliction of duty and lack of commitment as they failed to stop the transportation, sale and consumption of liquor laced with poisonous chemicals in their respective areas.”

The Incident in Botad

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said on Wednesday that 42 people from Botad and Ahmedabad district lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor on 25 July and at least 97 more were admitted to hospitals in Bhavnagar, Botad, and Ahmedabad.

A police investigation also revealed that a man named Jayesh, who has been arrested, stole 600 litres of methyl alcohol from an Ahmedabad godown, where he was the manager, and sold it to his cousin Sanjay in Botad for Rs 40,000. The solvent was further sold to local bootleggers who sold it as countrymade liquor after mixing it with water.

Adding that fifteen of the accused were already under arrest, Sanghvi said that the police will file a charge sheet within 10 days and that the government will also appoint a special public prosecutor.

The Botad and Ahmedabad Police on Tuesday, 26 July, registered three First Information Reports (FIRs) against nearly 20 culprits under Sections 302 (murder), 328 (causing hurt by poison), and 120(B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

(With inputs from PTI.)