Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district captured the main accused behind a spurious liquor tragedy that killed sixteen people and left about three dozen hospitalized. The 45-year-old local man was shot in the leg during an exchange of gunfire in a forested area about forty kilometres from the district headquarters. Two accomplices on a motorcycle escaped during the encounter and remain at large.
The suspect was already wanted in a separate illegal liquor brewing case from last year and was known to police for his experience in sourcing chemicals and equipment for spurious alcohol. Following the crackdown, seventeen of the thirty named accused have now been arrested. Additionally, authorities demolished illegally constructed portions of houses belonging to three named suspects earlier in the week.
The state’s chief minister assured strict action against everyone involved and promised a thorough administrative response to the rising death toll. Family members of the victims have demanded compensation and stricter punishment for the suppliers of the toxic liquor, while local officials promised a broader review of illegal liquor networks in rural parts of the district.