The Punjab Police have arrested two traders from Delhi in connection with the Amritsar hooch tragedy, which has now claimed 23 lives. The accused, identified as Ravinder Jain and Rishabh Jain, were taken into custody by the Amritsar Rural Police for allegedly supplying raw materials used in the production of spurious liquor.
The arrests bring the total number of people arrested in the case to 15. Police sources revealed that methanol, a toxic chemical compound, was procured in bulk online to prepare the illicit brew. Methanol, a colourless liquid, is poisonous when ingested and is illegally used in adulterated alcoholic beverages as a cheaper substitute for ethanol, the normal consumable alcohol.
According to the police, the two Delhi-based traders supplied methanol to one of the key accused, Sahib Singh. His communication with Rishabh Jain was uncovered through WhatsApp chat records.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav shared details of the investigation on X (formerly Twitter), stating: “Acting swiftly on forward and backwards linkages, Amritsar Rural Police arrests two persons from Model Town, Delhi in connection with the spurious liquor case in Majitha, Amritsar. One of the main accused, Sahib Singh, was in contact with Rishabh Jain, as revealed through his WhatsApp chat history.”
"It is suspected that Sahib Singh received a consignment from Jain, which was used to manufacture spurious liquor in Punjab region. An FIR has been registered under BNS & the Excise Act, and investigations are underway to uncover other linkages in this illegal network. @PunjabPoliceInd remains committed to cracking down on illicit liquor operations to ensure public safety. Details of accused: 1) Ravinder Jain s/o Nand Kishore Jain 2) Rishabh Jain s/o Ravinder Jain,’’ he added.
Meanwhile, till yesterday 21 deaths were reported, but today two more victims succumbed bringing the toll to 23. Both the deceased belonged to Bhangwan village. Most of the deceased were daily-wage labourers hailing from several villages, including Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Talwandi Khumman, Karnala, Bhangwan, and Therewal.
An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Excise Act. The police are continuing their investigation to uncover the broader network involved in the illegal operation.
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