Sagar Spurious Liquor Death Toll Reaches 30; Police Bust Racket, Offer Rewards

The Sagar police in Madhya Pradesh have dismantled a spurious liquor manufacturing and trading racket in the Banda area, as the death toll from contaminated liquor reaches 30. Police arrested one kingpin, Chandu Rajput, while absconding suspect Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, who operates a liquor shop, was allegedly involved in producing and distributing the illicit alcohol.

Authorities seized 164 empty quarter-bottles of 'Sagar Gold' brand, 27 litres of substandard liquor, bottle caps, labels, and manufacturing equipment from a maize field. The racket manufactured counterfeit 'Sagar Gold' liquor supplied to villages including Nauraj, Gugra, Patan, and Chhapri. Police have arrested 16 of 30 named suspects.

Rewards of Rs 20,000 each have been announced for absconding kingpins Yashwant Thakur and interstate smuggler Ravi Lakhera, with Rs 10,000 for other fugitives. The liquor was allegedly manufactured using formulas and materials sourced from interstate suppliers.