Punjab Hooch tragedy: Police nab Ludhiana-based man who sold 3 methanol drums

In a significant development in the Punjab hooch tragedy, police has arrested a Ludhiana-based paint store owner, allegedly responsible for triggering the chain of events that ultimately resulted in the death of 111 people across three districts. Earlier in the day, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said that no politician or public servant found complicit in the hooch tragedy will be spared.

The chief minister said he would finish off the liquor mafia in the state. Nobody will be allowed to get away with this, he added. The entire Punjab Police force has been tasked to crack down on the mafia, Singh said in a statement here.

 READ: Punjab Hooch Tragedy: 270 FIRs and 301 arrests over illicit liquor since May in Ludhiana

READ: Won't spare any politician or public servant found complicit in hooch tragedy: Punjab CM

Punjab Hooch tragedy

Over 100 people have died in Punjab’s Amritsar, Batala, and Tarn Taran districts since Wednesday night after consuming spurious liquor. Police stated that Moga-based hand sanitiser manufacturer - Ravinder Singh Anand had allegedly bought three cans of 200 litres each of the spurious liquor at Rs 11,000 a drum from the kingpin - Ludhiana-based paint business owner Rajesh Joshi.

Each of these bottles was diluted by 10 percent to make 46 bottles, which was then further diluted by an accused - Balwinder Kaur, by 50% water and sold a bottle of the diluted spirit for Rs 100. Police have identified five businessmen - Gobinder, Ravinder, Darshana Rani, Triveni Chouhan and Harpreet Singh apart from Joshi himself.

Punjab Police have arrested 37 people till date including five kingpins of the illicit liquor mafia that spanned several districts of the state. A manhunt as been launched for Ludhiana-based paint business owner Rajesh Joshi and eight others, who had initially allegedly supplied the three drums of spurious liquor which caused the deaths. Punjab Police has also launched a departmental inquiry against two deputy superintendents of police and four station house officers have been suspended for negligence.

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