Overview
- A sudden cluster of illnesses and deaths over roughly 48 hours in Pune and Pimpri‑Chinchwad has left at least 14 people dead and several others in critical condition after consuming suspected spurious country liquor.
- Doctors and investigators reported shared symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, breathlessness, frothing and rapid deterioration that are consistent with toxic alcohol poisoning, but laboratory confirmation of methanol is pending from FSL toxicology reports.
- Police and the State Excise Department have carried out raids, seized contaminated cans and large stocks, and detained multiple suspects including alleged supplier Yogesh Wankhede, with the chief minister saying eight arrests have been made so far.
- FIRs invoking culpable‑homicide and related sections have been registered, the probe has been transferred to the Crime Investigation Department, and scores of local police and excise officials have been suspended for possible negligence.
- Investigators say methanol, an industrial alcohol that can cause blindness and organ failure even in small doses, may have been bought and mixed into country liquor to boost potency and profits, a pattern that could prompt stricter controls on methanol sales and tighter oversight of illicit liquor networks.