The first deaths that alerted Madhya Pradesh Police to the suspected spurious liquor racket in Sagar district began with what appeared to be ordinary purchases of cheap liquor in two villages.

In Nauraj, 25-year-old Rajendra Lodhi bought a quarter of “Bambaiya” liquor for Rs 70 after being assured it was not fake. In Patan, 32-year-old Roshan Lodhi bought a quarter of “Sagar Gold” for Rs 60 after receiving a similar assurance. Both fell critically ill soon after drinking and died during treatment.

The police investigation has begun piecing together what investigators suspect was a supply chain linking village-level illegal sellers with people allegedly involved in procuring, manufacturing, transporting and distributing cheap liquor.

Police have found strikingly similar accounts in Nauraj and Patan, where victims allegedly consumed liquor after being assured that the cheaper product was genuine and had merely been made using the “formula” of the branded liquor.

“So far, 14 people have been formally arrested; they were produced before the court, and police remand has been obtained for their interrogation. One more accused is in our custody; he is being questioned, and the investigation is ongoing. We had two suspects undergoing treatment; one of them has died… the official death toll is 15,” Sujaniya said.

In Nauraj, police have linked the deaths of Rajendra Lodhi, 25, Kartar Singh Lodhi, 30, and Digvijay Lodhi, 28, to liquor allegedly sold by Jujhar Lodhi and other local sellers.

According to investigators, Jujhar told Rajendra and his uncle, Anup Singh, on September 4 that a “new cheap brand” had arrived and was being supplied through licensed liquor contractors Yashwant Singh, Manish Lodhi and Ashish Sahu of Banda.

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Police allege that the liquor was then moved through a chain of local sellers involving Akash Rai, Rahim Khan, Satyam, Asharam, Arvind, Ravindra, Rohit, Aniket and Makhan.

According to the police account, the liquor was being offered for about Rs 20 less than at licensed shops. When Rajendra reportedly asked whether it was fake or poisonous, Jujhar allegedly assured him that it was the same brand and claimed that Manish and Ashish had made it using the liquor’s “formula”.

Rajendra bought a quarter of country liquor described in the FIR as “Bambaiya” for Rs 70 and consumed it, according to the police.

Death came quickly

Family accounts provide a picture of how rapidly some of the victims deteriorated.

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Kartar Singh Lodhi’s family said he drank liquor on Saturday afternoon and began vomiting after returning home. By around 8 pm, he was repeatedly losing consciousness. He was taken first to Banda hospital and then to Sagar when his condition worsened.

His niece, Kirti Lodhi, said his condition became so severe that he was no longer able to recognise family members.

“My uncle had vision problems first and could not recognise his own family members. He had turned blue,” she said.

Kartar, the youngest of four brothers, died at the medical college in Sagar. His family said he left behind a wife and two young children and that the family depended on farming.

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Rajendra Lodhi, meanwhile, had been preparing to leave for Indore for work but stayed back after his sister returned home for Raksha Bandhan. He fell ill after consuming the liquor and died after being taken to hospital.

When his body was brought home, his sister repeatedly fainted, and his father collapsed on seeing his son’s body, according to the family.

Police say Digvijay Lodhi, 28, was another Nauraj resident who consumed the allegedly poisonous liquor and died at Banda hospital.

The Nauraj case names Jujhar, Dinesh Lodhi, Saurabh Lodhi, Govind Lodhi and Manohar Lodhi as the principal local accused, allegedly responsible for preparing, selling or supplying the liquor.

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The investigation has produced a second trail in Patan around the death of 32-year-old Roshan Lodhi.

Police say Roshan drank at Ram Singh Lodhi’s premises on September 5 and returned home vomiting. According to his uncle, Surendra Lodhi, Roshan said Ram Singh told him that a new, cheaper liquor had arrived and that it had been manufactured through Chandu alias Chandrabhan Rajput of Tatarwara and licensed liquor contractor Siddharth Kushwah.

The police case further alleges that Rohit Shivhare of Chhatarpur and Raghvendra, Dharmendra and Sohan of Tatarwara were involved in getting the liquor manufactured and moving it onward.

Roshan had reportedly asked whether the liquor was fake or poisonous. Ram Singh allegedly assured him that it was not fake and claimed that it had been made using the same liquor formula.

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Roshan bought a quarter of “Sagar Gold” for Rs 60, drank it and returned home. His health then deteriorated sharply, and he was taken to Banda hospital, where he died during treatment.