LUDHIANA, May 23: Days after Amritsar hooch tragedy that killed 27 people, three more people have died in Ludhiana’s Basti Jodhewal area after allegedly consuming locally made liquor, police confirmed on Thursday.
The deceased, identified as Rinku (40), Debi (27), and Mangoo (32), were labourers who had consumed the liquor Wednesday night on a vacant plot along Noorwala Road. They reportedly collapsed soon after, showing symptoms such as unconsciousness and frothing at the mouth. All three were rushed to the local Civil Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.
Senior Medical Officer Dr. Harpreet Singh stated that definitive cause of death would be known only after post-mortem examinations. However, preliminary suspicion centres around a liquor brand known as “Raspberry,” a variant of country-made liquor.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma confirmed, “The liquor in question was ‘Raspberry’. We have collected samples and sent them for forensic analysis. An FIR has been filed against the owner of the liquor outlet.”
Despite the swift police action, officials remain uncertain whether the fatalities were caused solely by the liquor or due to a combination of substances. An Excise Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “No other buyer from the same liquor batch has reported adverse effects. This raises the possibility that the victims might have consumed the alcohol with some other drug.”
The back-to-back tragedies have brought renewed urgency to addressing illicit liquor sales and substance abuse in the state, even as investigations continue into the source and composition of the deadly brew.
Read more: Lizards, Frogs, Methanol: Amritsar Hooch Death Toll Rises
