Three people died in the city on Friday afternoon after consuming what their family members say was spurious liquor. Four of their friends, who had consumed the same substance, are under treatment in hospital.
While the family members of the deceased alleged that another hooch tragedy had hit Ahmedabad, police said the medical reports of the deceased and those admitted in hospital do not indicate any trace of alcohol in their blood.
The police were alerted when three people were found dead in the Victoria Garden area of the city. The deceased, as well as those under treatment in hospital, had undoubtedly consumed something toxic.
The three deceased have been identified as Vinod Makwana (40), Raman Rathod and Chotulal. Their friends who are being treated in hospital are Katu Godar (76), Amarsinh (60), Ravi alias Imran (25) and Mahendra Makwana (45). The four people under treatment have been put on dialysis.
Makwana’s body was found near the IP Mission School, Thakore was found dead on the Sabarmati riverbank and Chotulal’s body was recovered from the Khanpur Lake Ni Chali. The police and other authorities have continued to deny that another hooch tragedy has hit the city.
Addressing a press conference, director of the Directorate of Forensic Science in Gandhinagar, JM Vyas, said no alcohol had been found in the blood samples of the four people being treated in the hospital. “There was no trace of methyl (toxic) alcohol in their blood,” he said.
Gujarat director general of police (DGP) SS Khandwawala also said that the victims had not drunk toxic hooch. He said that a group of people, knowingly or unknowingly, had consumed something poisonous, thinking that it was liquor.
Khandwawala further said that as the police were keen to get to the bottom of the matter, raids had been conducted in the city and in adjoining areas to find out exactly where the poisonous substance had come from. Meanwhile, senior police inspector of Gaikwad Haveli police station, GH Khan, has been transferred.
