Another Tragedy Strikes Rural Punjab
Grief and horror have engulfed Punjab’s Amritsar district once again. In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded in the Majitha block, 15 villagers have died and nearly a dozen others are fighting for their lives after consuming spurious liquor, often referred to as hooch.
The victims, mostly daily wage earners and farmers, belonged to the humble villages of Bhangali Kalan, Thariewal, Sangha, and Marari Kalan. For these tight-knit communities, this isn’t just a tragedy—it’s a catastrophe that has robbed them of fathers, sons, brothers, and friends in a single night.
Timeline of the Amritsar Tragedy
A Normal Day Turns Fatal
According to police officials and local sources, the tragedy unfolded over the weekend when several men consumed locally sourced liquor during a village gathering. Within hours, symptoms like vomiting, dizziness, and blurred vision were reported.
Panic spread quickly as many began collapsing. Villagers rushed the victims to nearby health centers, but for some, it was already too late.
“We thought it was a seasonal illness. But when four people died within an hour, we knew something was terribly wrong,” said Baldev Singh, a resident of Marari Kalan.
Confirmed Casualties and Critical Cases
As of May 13, 15 people have been confirmed dead, and 10 more remain in critical condition, battling for their lives in Amritsar Civil Hospital and nearby private medical centers.
Doctors suspect the consumption of methanol-laced alcohol—a toxic substance that can cause irreversible organ damage, blindness, and death when ingested even in small quantities.
“This tragedy could have been avoided. These people had families, children. We are devastated,” said one of the attending doctors, fighting back tears.
Grief and Anger in the Villages of Amritsar
A Community in Mourning
The air in Majitha is thick with mourning. Women weep inconsolably outside their homes. Children ask where their fathers are. Funeral pyres burn into the night, sending up not just smoke, but the unspoken questions of why and how this was allowed to happen.
In the village of Bhangali Kalan, where multiple deaths occurred, a mother clutched her son’s photograph, crying out, “He just went out for a drink with friends. He never came back.”
Police Investigation and Action in Amritsar
Raids and Arrests Begin
Punjab Police have launched a full-scale investigation into the tragedy. Multiple raids have been carried out in the region, and several suspects believed to be involved in the illegal brewing and distribution of the toxic liquor have been detained.
“We have registered cases under the Excise Act and IPC Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder),” said a senior police official.
Preliminary reports suggest that the hooch was produced in illegal distilleries operating in the outskirts of Amritsar. Authorities are also investigating whether local excise officers were negligent or complicit.
A Repeating Pattern in Amritsar, Punjab
Sadly, this isn’t the first time Punjab has been shaken by a hooch tragedy. In 2020, over 100 people died in Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur in a similar incident.
Despite promises of reform, illegal liquor production thrives, especially in economically backward rural belts where people often opt for cheap alcohol due to lack of regulation and affordability.
Public Outcry and Political Reactions
The tragedy has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and social activists.
“This is not just a law-and-order failure; it’s a failure of governance and compassion,” said one activist. “How many lives will it take before the government cracks down seriously on the liquor mafia?”
Punjab Chief Minister has ordered a judicial inquiry, promising swift justice and compensation for the families of the deceased.
List of alcohol poisonings in India
This is a partial list of alcohol poisonings in India. These incidents are often – but not exclusively – associated with methanol poisoning of the victims, where toxic methyl alcohol is used as a cheap way, as compared to the proper use of ethanol, to increase the alcohol content of moonshine.
- 1978 Dhanbad liquor tragedy
- 1981 Karnataka alcohol poisonings
- 1982 Vypin alcohol poisonings
- 1991 Delhi alcohol poisonings
- 1992 Odisha liquor deaths
- 2008 Karnataka-Tamil Nadu alcohol poisonings
- 2009 Gujarat alcohol poisonings
- 2011 Sangrampur methanol poisonings
- 2011 Bengal alcohol poisonings
- 2012 Odisha alcohol poisonings
- 2013 Azamgarh alcohol poisonings
- 2015 Bengal alcohol poisonings
- 2015 Mumbai alcohol poisonings
- 2016 Bihar alcohol poisonings
- 2019 Assam alcohol poisonings
- 2019 Uttar Pradesh – Uttarakhand alcohol poisoning
- 2020 Punjab alcohol poisoning
- 2022 Gujarat Toxic Liquor deaths
- 2022 Bihar alcohol poisoning
- 2024 Kallakurichi alcohol poisonings
Mourning Must Lead to Action
Behind every number in this tragedy is a human life lost, a family broken, a future cut short. The tears of Majitha’s women and the silence of its children are a testament to the systemic failure that allows such tragedies to repeat.
This moment calls for more than condolences—it calls for accountability, action, and a renewed commitment to protecting the most vulnerable from exploitation and neglect.
If we don’t act now, this won’t be the last village to mourn over hooch deaths.
