Amritsar (Punjab) [India], May 13 (HBTV): Fourteen people have died and six others are hospitalised after consuming spurious liquor in five villages under the Majitha block of Amritsar, Punjab Police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on the night of May 12, and police confirmed that the main distributor, identified as Prabhjeet Singh, has been arrested.

Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar (Majitha) Sakshi Sawhney said, ‘An unfortunate tragedy has occurred in Majitha. Last night, we received reports from five villages that those who consumed liquor were in critical condition. Our medical teams rushed to the scene and are still going door to door.’

‘Whether people have symptoms or not, we are taking them to the hospital so we can save lives. Fourteen people have died so far. The government is extending all possible help. We are ensuring that this death toll does not increase. We have arrested the suppliers, and further investigation is underway,’ she added.

Police have also arrested four others involved in the distribution of the illicit liquor: Kulbir Singh alias Jaggu (brother of the main distributor), Sahib Singh alias Sarai, Gurjant Singh, and Ninder Kaur. An FIR has been registered under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 61A of the Excise Act.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural) Maninder Singh said, ‘We received information around 9:30 pm last night that people were dying after consuming spurious liquor. We acted immediately and arrested four individuals. After interrogating the main supplier, Prabhjeet Singh, we traced and arrested the kingpin, Sahab Singh. We are investigating the source of the liquor and the firms involved.’

He added, ‘We have strict instructions from the Punjab government to take firm action against those supplying spurious liquor. Raids are ongoing. Two FIRs have been registered under stringent sections. We aim to dismantle the entire distribution network.’

The civil administration and police are conducting a door-to-door campaign in the affected villages to identify more people who may have consumed the illicit liquor and prevent further casualties.   

(ANI)