AMRITSAR, May 17 — A local court on Friday extended the police remand of nine out of ten individuals arrested in the spurious liquor case that has claimed 27 lives in the Majitha sub-division of Amritsar district. The remand was extended by four days, following the end of a two-day custody period, officials confirmed.
“All ten accused were produced before the court. Agreeing with the prosecution’s arguments, the court granted an extension of four days for nine of them,” said a police official. One of the accused, a woman identified as Ninder Kaur — whose husband also died after consuming the illicit liquor — was remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
Since the incident came to light on Monday, 27 people — mostly daily-wage workers from villages such as Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Talwandi Khumman, Karnala, Bhagwan, and Threawal — have lost their lives. No new fatalities were reported on Friday. Many victims had been admitted to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar after consuming the toxic liquor.
A police investigation has uncovered that methanol, a highly toxic industrial chemical, was procured in bulk through online platforms and illegally used in the preparation of the liquor. Methanol, though colourless like ethanol (the consumable form of alcohol), is lethal when ingested and is often added to illicit liquor as a cheap substitute.
So far, 18 individuals have been named in multiple FIRs registered at Majitha and Kathunangal police stations. They face charges under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the Excise Act and the SC/ST Act.
The crackdown continues as law enforcement agencies widen the investigation into the sourcing, distribution, and network behind the deadly hooch racket.
