Sagar hooch probe widens: Karni Sena leader, liquor contractor among 30 named

The investigation into the deaths from suspected illicit liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district has widened from the village-level sellers to those believed to have manufactured the supply, with police naming a Karni Sena office-bearer, a licensed liquor contractor and a history-sheeter from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh among 30 identified accused. Seventeen of them have been arrested so far.

According to Sagar Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujaniya, the alleged operation was led by Chandrabhan Singh Rajput, also known as Chandu, a resident of Tatarwara who is described as the prime accused and a divisional president of the Karni Sena. He is alleged to have worked with Manish Lodhi, alias Yashwant Thakur, who ran a licensed liquor vend at Barethi, and Shivanjay Rajput, said to be Chandrabhan's relative.

Questioning of the accused indicated that the three collaborated to produce liquor using spirit brought to a maize field, the SP said. Investigators allege the brewing took place in agricultural fields in Tatarwara ahead of the Krishna Janmashtami festival, and that empty bottles, labels and other packaging material were recovered. Around 50 cases bearing the Sagar Gold label were allegedly prepared and moved to a nearby village.

The trail then led to Ravi Lakhera, a 45-year-old alleged history-sheeter and smuggler who had been wanted in the case. He was arrested on Friday after a brief exchange of fire. Acting on information that he was hiding near Hanuman Tong Temple along the Banda-Barayatha road, police cordoned off a forest area. Lakhera allegedly fired at the police at least three times, and was hit in the leg when officers returned fire, according to the SP. A country-made 12-bore pistol, cartridges, spent casings and a motorcycle were seized, while two alleged accomplices escaped in the dark.

Police say Lodhi, who allegedly procured the material for making the liquor, worked with Lakhera to source the spirit and manufacture it. Lakhera, originally from Mahoba and living in Lalitpur, has about 25 criminal cases against him and was previously arrested in an illicit-liquor case in Lalitpur, police said, adding that he was familiar with liquor manufacturing and the procurement of its materials.

Investigators are examining whether that earlier Lalitpur case is connected to the Sagar deaths, an aspect still under investigation. Uttar Pradesh authorities have separately disputed earlier claims that the Sagar liquor came from Lalitpur and have asked Madhya Pradesh police to provide evidence of the link.

Police allege the network did not stop operating once the first deaths were reported. "After the deaths started happening, the racket's operatives started destroying the remaining spurious liquor, but the police, through timely raids, managed to seize a significant portion of the spurious liquor," a senior officer said. One of the alleged suppliers is said to have drunk the liquor himself and died.

The deaths were reported from September 5 onward in villages including Nauraj, Patan, Ghooghra Khurd and Bamura. Police put the toll at 15, with several others hospitalised, and cases were registered at Banda and Vinayaka police stations. Three FIRs have been lodged on complaints by victims' families. Investigators continue to probe the source and manufacture of the suspected toxic liquor and its distribution through village-level sellers.