Amritsar Hooch Tragedy: 15 Dead, Several Critical as Death Toll Expected to Rise
A spurious liquor tragedy has claimed the lives of 15 people in Punjab’s Amritsar district, with nearly 10 others battling for their lives in a critical condition. The victims, mostly from villages under the Majitha block — including Bhangali Kalan, Thariewal, Sangha, and Marari Kalan — reportedly consumed the illicit alcohol on Sunday evening, according to police.
The critically ill have been admitted to the Amritsar civil hospital. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney visited the hospital on Monday to assess the situation and confirmed the death toll, warning that the number of fatalities could still rise.
Majitha SHO Aabtaab Singh revealed disturbing details about attempts to conceal the incident. “We’ve come to know that all the victims purchased the liquor from a single source. Some of them died on Monday morning, and locals went ahead with the cremations without informing the police. In some cases, families falsely claimed the deaths were due to heart attacks. We only started receiving accurate information late on Monday,” he said.
A Punjab government spokesperson said that two FIRs have been registered, and the key suppliers — identified as Prabhjit Singh and Sahib Singh — were arrested in Rajasansi. Four others, who had purchased the illicit alcohol from them and distributed it in local villages, have also been taken into custody.
In an effort to uncover the broader network behind the supply of the toxic liquor, authorities have widened their investigation beyond Punjab. Raids and inquiries are already being carried out in other states as part of an intensified crackdown.
The latest tragedy has revived painful memories of the 2020 hooch disaster, which devastated the Majha region. Over 130 people had died and many others were left visually impaired after consuming spurious liquor in the districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur. Tarn Taran had witnessed the worst of it, with nearly 80 deaths reported in that district alone.
