Mumbai: Killer hooch was ‘elaichi’ methanol, informs Eknath Khadse

Mumbai: The victims of the Malwani hooch tragedy, where 102 people died, were fed “concentrated methanol” in flavours like “elaichi” in the name of liquor. This information was shared by Maharashtra revenue and excise minister Eknath Khadse in Tuesday’s state Cabinet meeting.

The state government has decided to form a high-level committee, headed by chief secretary Swadhin Kshatriya, to probe the matter. The chief secretary is expected to submit his report at the earliest. The government has also decided to invoke the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA) against all those involved in brewing illicit liquor, black-marketing of essential commodities and illegal sand-mining.

The home department, meanwhile, has initiated a massive drive against such activities across Maharashtra, involving police commissioners and superintendents of police, with the help of excise officials. The department also ordered action against police officials on even the slightest evidence of their connivance in such activities.

Significantly, in a joint operation, Mumbai crime branch officials, with the help of the Delhi police, arrested the main accused, identified as Atiq Sheikh, aliases Mansoor and Iliyas (26). Atiq was arrested from Delhi’s Seelampur locality for supplying spurious liquor to Mumbai since 2011 along with his associate Francis, said the police.

Atiq was produced before a Delhi court on Tuesday afternoon after which the Mumbai police took him into custody on transit remand. Delhi police sources said that at about 8.30 pm on Monday they received information from a Mumbai police team that the main accused, who supplied the killer brew, was hiding in the national capital.

According to highly-placed sources, while discussing the issue Mr Khadse informed the Cabinet that people died in Malwani because they were given concentrated methanol instead of hooch. All the tests and symptoms point towards the same.

A senior minister who attended the Cabinet meeting told this newspaper the Maharashtra chief minister was keen to invoke MPDA against the offenders but, since the sale of methanol is the Centre’s subject, the chief secretary-led committee was formed to find a way out.

Maharashtra minister of state for home Ranjit Patil also confirmed that it was a case of methanol poisoning. “All the medical tests and analyses point to it being a case of methanol poisoning,” Mr Patil said.

The minister, a doctor by profession, explained, “Methanol in concentrated form led to the formation of formaldehyde and formic acid, which is toxic to the brain, retina, liver, lungs and other vital organs of the body. This was the reason so many people lost their lives.”

He said there are big fish involved in the case and the government is after them. Police and excise officials have conducted 200 hunts across the state and teams have been sent to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

The home department directive to all commissioners of police and superintendents of police stated that such a tragic event could not have taken place without the connivance of local excise and police officers.

“If you find the slightest evidence of connivance of police officers /employees take immediate strict action, including suspension, by following the procedure laid down by the law. Such actions should be taken against those found to be involved or found to be conniving, howsoever senior he or she might be.

You should also report the matter regarding unearthing of such clandestine illicit liquor brewing and the action taken against the concerned officers/employees to the home department through the normal channel of reporting,” the directive said.