Sagar | 7 Sep 2026 At least 12 people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district, while police have arrested 14 suspects and named about 30 people in three FIRs as investigators examine a suspected supply network extending into Uttar Pradesh.
Sagar spurious liquor investigation traces suspected Lalitpur link
The deaths followed the consumption of suspected counterfeit liquor on Saturday in villages under Banda tehsil, around 30 kilometres from Sagar city. Nauraj and Gogra were among the areas most severely affected.
Sagar Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujaniya said the preliminary investigation had identified a Lalitpur-based group previously accused of manufacturing counterfeit liquor resembling brands sold in Madhya Pradesh. Investigators believe the consignment involved in the Sagar deaths may have originated from this network.
The suspected liquor was allegedly filled in bottles carrying labels, caps and QR codes designed to resemble genuine products. Officials are investigating whether it was subsequently distributed through people associated with licensed liquor outlets, leaving customers unaware that they were buying counterfeit alcohol.
Licensed liquor contractors Siddharth Kushwaha and Yashwant Thakur have been named among the accused, according to reports citing the police complaint. Their inclusion in an FIR constitutes an allegation, and the investigation remains under way.
Three FIRs registered as police expand raids
Police registered three FIRs at two police stations after receiving complaints from the victims’ families. By Monday morning, about 30 people had been named and 14 arrested, according to the latest police information.
Police, Excise Department and revenue teams are conducting raids to locate the remaining accused and recover any suspected liquor still in circulation. Officials and village representatives have also carried out door-to-door searches in affected areas to identify residents who may have consumed the liquor or retained unopened bottles.
Seven liquor shops in the Banda-Shahgarh area were sealed as a precaution, and samples were collected for examination. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered to determine the source of the liquor and identify possible regulatory failures.
Five officials suspended over alleged enforcement lapses
Three Excise Department officials and two police personnel were suspended following the tragedy. The Excise Department’s area deputy commissioner was removed from Sagar and attached to the department’s headquarters in Gwalior.
The action covered the Banda police station house officer, an outpost in-charge, Sagar Assistant Excise Commissioner Kirti Dubey, Additional District Excise Officer Dilip Kandaka and Sub-Inspector Roshani Urathi. The suspensions are administrative measures pending further examination and do not by themselves establish criminal liability.
Medical screening continues in affected villages
Dozens of residents reported symptoms including vomiting, dizziness, headache and blurred vision after allegedly consuming the liquor. Patients requiring advanced treatment were referred to Bundelkhand Medical College and other hospitals in Sagar.
District authorities urged anyone who had consumed liquor in the affected area and developed symptoms to seek medical attention immediately. Health teams were deployed in villages to screen residents and identify further cases.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered an immediate investigation and directed officials to take stringent action against those responsible.
“I have instructed the minister in charge and directed the officials to act promptly, take the strictest possible action and conduct a thorough investigation.”
— Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
Investigators are now working to establish where the suspected liquor was manufactured, how it crossed the Madhya Pradesh–Uttar Pradesh border and whether any licensed distribution channel was misused. The accused remain entitled to due process, and criminal responsibility will be determined through the investigation and subsequent judicial proceedings.
