June 19, (Mid-day): Deaths after consuming spurious liquor blows lid off an illegal hooch racket; Crime Branch has arrested 15-odd accused and will launch inquiry against suspect cops

An illicit alcohol racket was uncovered in Malwani, after at least 15 people died from consuming spurious liquor on Wednesday. Cops fear the death count will continue to rise as several more people turned up at local hospitals in droves, complaining of symptoms consistent with alcohol toxicity. In the meantime, the police have arrested 15-odd people in connection with the racket.

Malwani SPI knew about hooch racket, allege cops

Late on Wednesday night, several residents of the Ambujwadi slums in Malwani were rushed to the hospital after they complained of uneasiness, and pain in the chest and stomach. Many complained they were unable to see properly and were suffering breathing problems as well.

The serious cases were sent to various private and civic-run hospitals in the vicinity, such as Prime, Suvarna, Shatabdi, Sion hospitals, etc. According to Dr Owais Shaikh from Prime Hospital -- where six of the patients were admitted — the victims had probably consumed hooch laced with methanol, a kind of alcohol that is highly toxic and unfit for consumption. The police are yet to confirm how many victims took ill after drinking the hooch or what it had been contaminated with. At the time of going to press, Additional Commissioner of Police (Western zone) Fateh Singh Patil confirmed that 15 victims had died, while another 10-odd were under treatment.

“So far we have found 24 people who drank this toxic alcohol but we are not sure about what was mixed in it. We are recording all the victims’ statements and searching for other victims in different hospitals in the area,” said Crime Branch ACP Sunil Deshmukh.

The case was handed over to the Crime Branch by Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, after which 15-odd accused were detained, including the alleged kingpin who made and supplied the moonshine, one Raju.

The kin of the deceased said that Raju has long been illegally distilling and selling hooch in the area, and even though locals had complained to the police about it, o action was take against him. In light of these allegations, the Crime Branch will also launch an inquiry against the Malwani police to find out whether the cops were working hand-in-glove with Raju, said sources, adding that the Crime Branch had also raided several places in the locality and recovered a few samples of alcohol.

Playing the victim?

According to police sources, the prime accused, Raju, claimed he knew nothing about the contamination in the alcohol. He said he had been selling hooch for years without any incident and did not know what was mixed in this batch. The source also added that Raju was commonly known as Raju ‘Langda’, in reference to his lame leg, which he often used to gain sympathy with the police and locals.

List of deceased
>> Mahabub Shaikh (43)
>> Dinesh Kanojiya (40)
>> Dattatray Ghamare (53)
>> Kanhaiya Harijan (40)
>> Rohit Bhalerao (24)
>> Laxman Yemapure (40)
>> Ashok Khemadi (25)
>> Ramtekar Ramesh (40)
>> Satavan Mhatre (40)
>> Vijay Ravi Gajala (27)
>> Pramod Chavan (43)
>> David Chettiar
>> Kisan Sonavane
>> Unidentified (2 victims)

Voices

Kamlesh Kanojia, victim’s brother
I drink occasionally, but my brother Dinesh, who died, would drink regularly. Dinesh forced me to drink but while I drank a little, he consumed a large amount of the booze. Late at night, my stomach began to hurt, and my brother also complained about pain. Both of us began vomiting and we were taken to the hospital, but I lost my brother there.

Tayra Khan, victim’s wife
My husband, Mehboob was admitted to the hospital at 6 am on Thursday, after he complained of vomiting and pain in the stomach. He died three hours later, leaving me and my three little children alone.

Fulchand Yadav, victim’s friend
My best friend Kanhaiya Harijan and I belong to Uttar Pradesh. Both of us lived at the Malwani chawl, and he would drink every day. Alcohol killed my best friend.

Charles Chettiar, victim’s son
My father (Paul Chettiar) was bathing in the morning when he started feeling dizzy and had breathing problems. We took him to Prime Hospital and after some time, we saw more cases coming in there. We shifted him to KEM, where his dialysis is going on. His condition is still serious.