A total of 10 individuals have been arrested in connection with the illicit liquor tragedy in Amritsar’s Majitha, which has claimed 21 lives and left several others hospitalised, an official said on Tuesday. The official also confirmed that the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and the Station House Officer (SHO) of Majitha have been suspended for “gross negligence.”
According to Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the Punjab police have arrested 10 persons, including the kingpin of the racket, and the investigation to uncover the entire modus operandi of the illicit liquor trade was underway.
DGP Yadav said "The Punjab Police remains unwavering in its commitment to dismantling illicit liquor networks and holding negligent officials accountable. We all stand united in grief--and in our resolve to ensure justice is served and such tragedies are prevented in the future," he added.
Dr. Swarnjeet Dhawan, Senior Medical Officer at Civil Hospital Amritsar, stated, “We are awaiting police documentation to proceed with post-mortems. Many people still don't understand how dangerous spurious liquor can be.”
Dr Dhawan added that nine bodies were transferred to Civil Hospital from Majitha early Tuesday morning. More bodies continue to arrive from Bhangali, Dhariwal, Mardi Kalan, and Talwandi villages.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Satinder Singh called it a “deeply unfortunate incident.”
The district authorities are conducting door-to-door checks to identify and treat any remaining affected individuals.
Cheema assures strict action
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemned the incident and assured strict action against those responsible. “Murder charges have been registered against the accused. We will ensure that the culprits face capital punishment,” Cheema said.
Warring demands time-bound action against guilty
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives after consuming spurious liquor and called for swift, time-bound action against those responsible. He also criticised the AAP in the state, questioning the workings of the state government over the death of 21 people due to the consumption of illicit liquor in Amritsar's Majitha.
"Failure of police, administration": MP Aujla blames AAP govt
Amritsar MP and Congress leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Tuesday blamed the AAP government in Punjab for the spurious liquor tragedy in Majitha. "This is a failure of the police and administration. It (liquor) is being sold openly," Aujla said. "The Chief Minister, Home Minister, Excise Minister and officials do not know what is happening on the ground? Is it not their responsibility? The liquor mafia must be punished," he said.
"They will get the harshest punishment": Kejriwal
AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal expressed grief over the Majitha illicit liquor case. "Many people have died after consuming poisonous liquor in Majitha. Whoever is involved in this, no matter how influential or big they are, they will not be spared. They will get the harshest punishment,” Kejriwal's 'X' post said.
It's a “man-made tragedy”: Sukhbir
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal called the incident a “man-made tragedy” and accused the state of sponsoring the disaster.
“Illegal distilleries are flourishing, and innocent lives are being snuffed out. Where are our task forces, @BhagwantMann?” he said in a post on X.
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