Pune Hooch Tragedy Fda Seizes Methanol Bhiwandi Police Officers Suspended

Following the hootch deaths in Pune, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seized over 5,000 kg Methanol from the premises of Rex International Company in Bhiwandi in Thane district, on Saturday. As per an FDA press release, the spurious liquor that caused m... As per an FDA press release, the spurious liquor that caused multiple deaths in Pune district, contained Methanol procured from Rex International. Meanwhile, as many as nine police personnel from Pune city and Pimpri Chinchwad police, along with 13 state excise department officials in Pune, were suspended from service, for allegedly failing in their duties to control the illicit liquor trade. At least 10 persons from Phugewadi-Dapodi areas of Pimpri-Chinchwad and four from Hadapsar area in Pune city died by consuming spurious liquor between May 26 and May 28. Seven persons from Pimpri-Chinchwad, who too had consumed the same liquor, are undergoing treatment at different hospitals. A few more deceased persons including one from Phugewadi-Dapodi and three from Hadapsar, are suspected to have died after drinking toxic liquor. But the police have not yet confirmed the cause behind their death. An FIR was registered at Dapodi police station in Pimpri Chinchwad and another at Hadapsar police station in Pune city, against the illicit liquor racketeers, under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to muder), 123 (causing hurt by means of harmful substances with the intent to commit a crime), 110, 125, 275, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, sections 65(E), 68, 81 and 83 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act. Three more offences were lodged with the state excise department. Police officials said the state CID has taken over the investigation in hooch death cases. On Friday, the Pimpri Chinchwad police had arrested five persons identified as Karnelsingh Takhtsingh Virka, 73, Gurmangatsingh Karnelsingh Virka, 45, both residing near Deccan Paper Mill, Sanjay Nagar, Phugewadi; Yogesh Ramchandra Vhankade alias Sikandar Rathod, 23, of Keshavnagar in Mundhwa area Pune city; Radheshyam Hariram Prajapati, 35, of Urulikanchan and Kalpesh Ashok Agrawal, 29, of Khadki. A court remanded them to police custody till June 8. Probe revealed that accused Vhankhade got liquor from Prajapati in Uruli Kanchan, and further supplied it to different parts of Pune and also to Virka in Phugewadi in Pimpri Chinchwad. Police suspect that Vhankhade purchased over 200 litres of Methanol online a few days before. Then, at a location in the Phursungi area, he allegedly mixed Methanol into liquor taken from Prajapati, making it toxic. He allegedly supplied the toxic liquor to Akash Jadhav at Pandhare Mala in Hadapsar, Irfan Qureshi at Pawar Wasti in Dapodi, and Aryan Dhotre at Wadarwadi in Gokhale Nagar. The liquor was sold for merely Rs 30 per pouch at these spots. After deaths were reported on Thursday, the state excise department nabbed Vhankhade, and subsequently, raided the illicit liquor dens in Hadapsar, Dapodi and Gokhale Nagar. About 645 liters of liquor mixed with Methanol was seized from these locations. While Vhankhade was handed over to the police, excise