Madhya Pradesh: Rs 20 Price Gap That Cost Over a Dozen Lives in Sagar Hooch Tragedy

Unofficially, the death toll has however been put at 22.

These alcoholics in three villages under Banda police limits had paid a heavy price with their lives for being hooked to a counterfeit liquor brand sold only because it was cheaper by Rs. 20, if an FIR filed in Banda police station in connection with the incident was any indication.

A local, Anup Singh Lodhi, in his complaint, said that eight people in his village were into the business of illicit liquor trade.

He visited the shop of one of these traders along with his nephew Rajendra Singh Lodhi on September four.

The trader informed them that a licensed seller had procured a counterfeit brand through a supply network which was cheaper by Rs. 20 per quarter bottle.

The trader tried to convince them that the formulae of the counterfeit brand were the same but cheaper by Rs. 20 as against the price of Rs. 70 of original brand.

Rajendra Singh Lodhi allegedly consumed the counterfeit brand and fell ill.

He was admitted to the hospital where he died on Sunday.

Two other deceased, Kartar Singh Lodhi and Digvijay Singh Lodhi, had also allegedly consumed the fake brand liquor.

Meanwhile, the revision of order by the excise department to the officials concerned from ‘seize’ the alleged killer liquor brand, Sagar Gold, to no more action is required, within a few hours before the hooch tragedy took place, has raised many eyebrows.

The orders were reportedly in the order of- stop its sale, seize suspected stock, and ‘no other action is required’, official sources told this newspaper on Monday.

Three excise officers were suspended reportedly for their failure to assess the situation in the field before revising the orders, a senior excise officer said, unwilling to be quoted.