Overview
- On Wednesday Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Sagar, ordered a judicial inquiry and transferred senior officials after authorities reported at least 15 deaths and dozens hospitalised from suspected spurious liquor.
- Police have arrested roughly half of the named suspects with reports of 16 arrests, announced cash rewards for key absconding suspects and launched manhunts for alleged kingpins tied to the racket.
- A statewide excise–police drive registered about 1,554 cases and seized more than 12,000 litres of illicit liquor while local raids in Sagar recovered bottles, caps, labels and makeshift packaging materials.
- District authorities began bulldozer demolitions of properties linked to accused sellers and manufacturers, and prosecutors say they will seek the toughest penalties under the law.
- Forensic tests on liquid and viscera samples are ongoing to decide whether deaths were caused by counterfeit branded bottles, local adulteration or interstate supply, and Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh police dispute the precise source of the liquor.