Overview
- Officials say 10 people died in Chandana village between October 1 and 15 and the district has so far found no confirmed poisoning after excise tests of a licensed batch tested negative.
- Families and Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders dispute the official account and allege up to 22 deaths and dozens suffering vision damage after drinking locally obtained alcohol.
- Viscera from some of the deceased have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for toxicology, and the five-member panel led by Ujjain Additional Collector Pratham Kaushik must submit a report within 15 days.
- Excise officials note that tests on samples from licensed shops clear those specific bottles but do not rule out illicit local production or untested consignments that families point to.
- The case follows several recent hooch tragedies in the region and could trigger criminal probes, administrative suspensions, and tighter enforcement if the FSL report confirms toxic liquor.