NEW DELHI: The Gujarat Police have arrested Raees, the main accused in the deaths of 11 people due to poisonous liquor in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
According to sources, the Gujarat Police had been tracking Raees’ movements following the incident, and he was finally arrested from his hometown of Ujjain on Thursday (Aug 20).
One of the deceased was from Morena in Madhya Pradesh, and the police suspect that he was also one of the main accused.
The deceased, identified as Narendra Yadav alias ‘Doctor’, was from Dungarpur Kirar village in Morena.
He was accused of preparing the poisonous concoction, which he also consumed, dying along with 10 others.
Sources said Narendra was nicknamed ‘Doctor’ because of his expertise in making spurious liquor.
On Thursday, Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, alleging that the poisonous liquor that claimed lives in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar had been smuggled there from Ujjain, the MP Chief Minister’s home district.
“The incident is an ironic example of Narendra Modi’s new India: the place where the deaths occurred and the place from where the spurious alcohol was supplied both officially have a total ban on alcohol!” Patwari said, expressing surprise.
He said there was a blanket ban on alcohol in Gujarat, while MP Chief Minister Dr Yadav had also declared a complete ban on the sale of liquor in Ujjain.
He said the Gujarat Police investigation into the incident had indicated that the poisonous liquor had reached Bhavnagar from Ujjain.
“Nature has exposed the lie of CM Dr Yadav through this tragedy, in which one person from MP’s Morena has also died,” Patwari averred.
“The MP Chief Minister must clarify the matter,” Patwari demanded.
Forensic laboratory reports have confirmed that the drink consumed by the victims contained 38.59 per cent methyl alcohol (methanol), a highly toxic industrial chemical that is never used in licensed and genuine alcoholic beverages. - The Statesman/ANN
