At least seven people have died and 30 others are receiving treatment after consuming spurious liquor in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, officials said on Thursday. The deaths and hospitalisations are linked to bottles of illicit alcohol allegedly filled with methanol and packaged in counterfeit bottles of a branded Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).
Police action and FIR
Inspector General of Police, Bhavnagar Range, R.V. Asari said an FIR has been registered against 21 persons and 12 individuals have been detained in connection with the case. The initial complaint was registered at Vartej police station after victims fell ill following a gathering in Kharakadi village in Ghogha taluka.
"A case of accidental death was registered when a person died after consuming toxic, chemical-laced liquor at Kharakadi village under the Vartej police station limits. An FIR was subsequently lodged, naming 21 individuals as accused," said R.V. Asari.
Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey said the victims consumed liquor from a "duplicate" bottle of an IMFL brand. Blood and sample tests reportedly detected methanol in the seized samples, and authorities are probing the source and distribution network used to prepare and sell the tainted liquor.
Timeline and medical response
District officials received the first reports around 6pm on Tuesday (August 18) about a group of five friends falling sick after drinking illicit liquor at a party in Kharakadi. Over the next 24–48 hours, cases emerged from other villages and locations within Bhavnagar city, Bhavnagar Collector Manish Kumar said.
Patients have been treated at Sir Takhtasinh General Hospital (Sir T Hospital) in Bhavnagar and at private facilities. Medical teams from Sir T Hospital and Ahmedabad's kidney centre IKDRC were mobilised to supervise free treatment camps and support local clinicians handling acute poisoning cases.
Investigations and forensic findings
According to police statements, preliminary chemical analysis of a seized bottle showed a substantial proportion of methanol relative to ethanol. Authorities are investigating:
- how and where methanol was procured
- the quantity of spurious liquor produced and sold
- the distribution network used to circulate the counterfeit bottles
The FIR names residents from Vartej, Kharakadi and other areas of Bhavnagar district. Police said inquiries include tracing suppliers, sellers and intermediaries who purchased bottles, labeling material and other ingredients used to prepare the toxic liquor.
Public-health advisory and local context
Gujarat is a dry state where manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited under the state’s prohibition laws. Despite that, illicit production and clandestine distribution occur periodically, often linked to homemade or chemically adulterated brews.
Officials have urged anyone who consumed liquor recently and feels unwell to seek immediate medical attention and undergo tests for methanol poisoning. Symptoms of methanol toxicity can include headache, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, visual disturbances and breathlessness; prompt treatment can reduce fatalities.
Key figures
| Metric | Count |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 7 |
| Hospitalised | 30 |
| People named in FIR | 21 |
| Detained | 12 |
Investigating teams from the State Monitoring Cell have been assigned to the case, police said, and forensic analysis is continuing to establish exact chemical composition and distribution links. Local law-enforcement officers are conducting searches and interrogations as the probe expands.
The spurious-liquor incident has renewed scrutiny of illicit alcohol supply chains in Gujarat, particularly the use of industrial-grade methanol or other toxic agents to increase potency or volume. Authorities said continued vigilance, rapid medical response and targeted policing are central to preventing similar tragedies.
Further updates are expected as forensic reports are finalised and the investigation identifies the full extent of the network involved.
