9 killed after consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar

Nine people have died in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district after allegedly consuming spurious liquor. The victims, from different villages, reportedly fell ill after drinking alcohol on Saturday night. Local authorities reached the area and began investigating.

In Short

• Victims from multiple villages fell ill post alcohol intake on Saturday night
• Authorities await post-mortem to confirm cause of deaths
• Police probe illegal liquor source and possible network involvement

Nine people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, with a preliminary probe now pointing to a suspected liquor racket operating across the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border.

The victims were residents of different villages and reportedly fell ill after consuming alcohol on Saturday night. According to preliminary information, people from Ghooghar, Naoraj, Baraj and surrounding areas had consumed liquor before their condition deteriorated.

Family members rushed them to hospital, where doctors declared them dead. While spurious liquor is suspected to have caused the deaths, authorities have not yet officially confirmed the cause. Police said the exact reason will be established after post-mortem examinations. The death toll could also rise, officials said.

UP LIQUOR RACKET UNDER SCANNER

The preliminary investigation has reportedly uncovered a suspected network of liquor suppliers based in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district, bordering Sagar.

India Today has accessed a copy of an FIR registered by Lalitpur Police in May 2026, in which a gang allegedly involved in supplying illegal liquor to Madhya Pradesh was caught.

According to the investigation and statements recorded by Lalitpur Police, the accused allegedly admitted to manufacturing counterfeit liquor in Lalitpur and supplying it to villages in Sagar’s border areas.

The suspects allegedly prepared the fake liquor to resemble genuine alcohol by using counterfeit labels and caps. They also reportedly placed fake QR codes on the bottles before transporting them to different locations using cars and motorcycles.

The alleged network is suspected of supplying counterfeit liquor to villages including Bandri, Barodia, Ghooghara Khurd, Naoraj and Baraj, among other areas of Sagar district.

The police investigation is now focusing on how the liquor was transported from Lalitpur to Sagar, who was involved in the distribution network and whether local people were assisting the alleged racket.

Police have reportedly begun raids to identify and arrest suspects linked to the network.

PROBE UNDERWAY INTO DEATHS

Investigators are questioning affected families and local residents and examining the liquor consumed by the victims. Authorities are also trying to determine whether the nine deaths are connected to the same batch or source of liquor.

The Sagar administration has stepped up inspections of liquor shops and suspected illegal liquor outlets in the area following the deaths.

The Superintendent of Police, district Collector and other senior administrative officials have reached the affected area and are monitoring the situation.

CM MOHAN YADAV ORDERS STRICT ACTION

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, speaking to ANI, said he had instructed the concerned minister and officials to immediately visit the site.

Yadav said a detailed inquiry would be conducted and strict action taken against those responsible. He added that his government would not tolerate such incidents.

Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda also condemned the deaths and said those responsible would not be spared. He said he had obtained detailed information from the district Collector and Superintendent of Police and that the Excise Commissioner was reaching the spot.

SIMILAR HOOCH TRAGEDY IN GUJARAT

The Sagar deaths come amid a series of recent incidents involving suspected spurious liquor in other states.

Last month, 13 people died in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, while more than a dozen others were hospitalised.

Officials said four suspected illegal liquor sellers were detained in connection with the case. According to authorities, the victims had consumed liquor belonging to a popular Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand.

Police later arrested 13 of the 21 accused and charged them with offences including culpable homicide and poisoning. The investigation found that the liquor contained 38.59 per cent methanol.

Gujarat is a prohibition state, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited, subject to limited exceptions under the law.

In Sagar, investigators are now examining whether a similar illegal supply chain was responsible for the deaths and how widely the suspected counterfeit liquor had been distributed in the district.

- Ends