Three labourers died after consuming country liquor mixed with some suspicious liquid in Gujarat’s Nadiad, police said. The victims were engaged in various works like painting and selling panipuris.
The families of the victims said they all died due to consumption of spurious liquor in the Jawahar Nagar area of Nadiad late Sunday night.
A forensic report revealed that methanol was not present in the spurious liquor.
The three bodies were sent for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of the deaths, police said.
Gujarat has been a dry state and the manufacture, storage, sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages has been banned since its bifurcation from the erstwhile Bombay State in May 1960.
Last month, the Gujarat Police arrested two people after they busted an illegal manufacturing unit involved in making spurious liquor in Mehsana district.
After receiving a tip-off, the police raided the factory manufacturing spurious foreign liquor, which was being made by mixing colour, malt, chemicals and alcohol, and sold by filling it in bottles with stickers of top liquor brands.
In December last year, the BJP government in the state allowed consumption of alcohol at hotels, restaurants and clubs offering ‘wine and dine’ service in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) in Gandhinagar district.
All individuals employed in GIFT City and authorised visitors are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages within the designated area. However, hotels and restaurants are ordered not to sell liquor bottles.
