Spurious liquor claims 11 lives in MP
Eleven people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in three villages of Bunda tehsil in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, with a preliminary investigation pointing to a suspected illegal liquor supply network operating across the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border.
The victims, residents of Ghooghara Khurd, Naoraj, Baraj and surrounding areas, reportedly consumed liquor on Saturday night and fell ill soon afterwards. Family members rushed them to hospitals, where doctors declared them dead. While spurious liquor is suspected to have caused the deaths, authorities have not yet officially confirmed the cause.
Post-mortem examinations will establish the exact reason, officials said.
The preliminary probe has reportedly uncovered a suspected network of liquor suppliers based in Uttar Pradesh’s Lalitpur district, which borders Sagar. Sources said an FIR registered by Lalitpur Police in May 2026 had led to the detection of a gang allegedly involved in supplying illegal liquor to villages in Madhya Pradesh.
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 along the Sagar border.
The suspects allegedly prepared fake liquor to resemble genuine brands using counterfeit labels and caps. They also reportedly placed fake QR codes on bottles before transporting them to different locations in cars and motorcycles.
The alleged network is suspected to have supplied counterfeit liquor to Bandri, Barodia, Ghooghara Khurd, Naoraj and Baraj, among other villages in Sagar district.
Investigators are now examining how the liquor was transported from Lalitpur to Sagar, who was involved in its distribution and whether residents were assisting the suspected racket. Police have begun raids to identify and arrest those linked to the network.
Authorities are also questioning affected families and residents and examining the liquor consumed by the victims to determine whether all 11 deaths were connected to the same batch or source.
The Sagar administration has intensified inspections of liquor shops and suspected illegal liquor outlets in the affected areas. The Collector, Superintendent of Police and other senior officials have reached the affected villages and are monitoring the situation.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered a detailed inquiry and strict action against those responsible. He said his government would not tolerate such incidents and directed the concerned minister and officials to immediately visit the affected area.
Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda also condemned the deaths and said those responsible would not be spared. He said he had obtained details from the Collector and SP and that the Excise Commissioner also reached the spot.
