Police crack down on methanol-laced liquor network after multiple deaths in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad
A major illicit liquor tragedy has shaken Maharashtra after at least 18 people died within 48 hours across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad allegedly after consuming methanol-laced alcohol, triggering a large-scale police and excise department investigation into the illegal liquor network operating in the region.
The deaths were reported from Phugewadi and Dapodi in Pimpri-Chinchwad, where 13 people lost their lives, while five others died in Pune’s Hadapsar and Kalepadal areas after allegedly consuming the toxic liquor.
Authorities initially linked some of the deaths to unrelated illnesses, but investigators later identified a disturbing common pattern among the victims — severe dizziness, vomiting and intense abdominal pain — symptoms consistent with suspected methanol poisoning.
Following post-mortem findings, police began registering cases under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder and causing harm through toxic substances, along with provisions of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.
Investigators identified Yogesh Wankhede as a key suspect in the case after he surrendered before authorities. During questioning, police reportedly found that he had supplied chemical-laced liquor across Pune city and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
According to Atul Kanade, Superintendent of Police of the State Excise Department, the accused allegedly mixed methanol into locally distributed liquor, leading to multiple fatalities.
Police Commissioner Vinay Chaube said five accused are currently in police custody, while two others are being held by the State Excise Department. The probe has now been handed over to the Crime Branch.
Residents of affected localities have accused authorities of ignoring the rampant sale of illicit country liquor in areas such as Dapodi, Phugewadi and Hadapsar for a long time.
Family members of victims recounted horrifying details of the incident.
One resident from Pune’s Pandhare Mala said three members of their family — Arun, Rahul and Yashwant — fell critically ill within minutes of consuming the liquor.
“Soon after consuming the liquor, they started vomiting within about 10 minutes and complained of severe stomach pain,” the relative said.
Another grieving family member said the victims regularly consumed locally available country-made liquor and had never imagined it could turn fatal.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has taken serious note of the incident and directed police and excise authorities to take strict action against everyone involved in the illicit liquor racket.
Fadnavis instructed officials to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that no individual linked to the supply chain escapes punishment.
The incident has once again highlighted the recurring menace of illegal liquor networks in several parts of the country, where toxic methanol is often mixed into alcohol to increase potency at low cost — frequently resulting in mass casualties.
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