Pune hooch tragedy: 15 killed after consuming suspected spurious liquor; prime suspect detained

A major toxic liquor tragedy has sent shockwaves across Pune and PimpriChinchwad after at least 15 people allegedly died from consuming chemically contaminated illicit country liquor within a span of 24 hours Authorities fear the death toll could rise further as several others remain hospitalised in critical conditionInvestigation points to methanollaced liquorThe mystery surrounding a series of sudden and suspicious deaths reported over the last 24 to 48 hours in the Fugewadi area of PimpriChinchwad has now been unravelled Investigators believe the deaths were not caused by any natural illness but by highly toxic spurious liquor allegedly manufactured illegally in Uruli Kanchan using hazardous methanolbased chemicalsVIDEO Mumbai Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Dev_Fadnavis speaks on deaths in PimpriChinchwad after consuming toxic liquorHe says ldquoThis is a very unfortunate incident Eight people have been arrested immediately and more arrests may follow We have identified thehellip pictwittercomsxlnYMpMqMmdash Press Trust of India PTI_News May 29 2026Police officials said the illicit liquor was prepared within the jurisdiction of the Uruli Kanchan Police Station To increase the potency of the brew the prime accused Yogesh Wankhede mdash a known offender on the records of the State Excise Department mdash allegedly mixed nearly 215 litres of poisonous methanol into the liquor before distributing it to illegal liquor dens across Pune and PimpriChinchwadAccording to police the victims suffered severe poisoning after consuming the liquor resulting in multiple deaths across the two citiesDeath toll rises across Pune and PimpriChinchwadSo far 10 deaths have been reported from Fugewadi and nearby areas in PimpriChinchwad while five fatalities have been recorded in Pune including the Hadapsar areaThe deceased from PimpriChinchwad have been identified as Pandurang Sadashiv Phuge 57 Vijay Prakash Rathod 31 Rajendra Prakash Rathod 34 Rajesh Rajput 51 Akbar Pathan 52 Anand Pandurang Desai 60 Anand Kashinath Nikalje 70 and Baba Sheikh 42 among othersAmong the victims from Pune are Rahul Sharad Kshirsagar 45 Vijay Bhukurlal Sharma 45 Arun Dadar Ashok Ramesh Chavan and another person whose identity is yet to be officially confirmedFour more people are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals and their condition is reported to be extremely criticalSimilar symptoms raise suspicions of poisoningInvestigators noted that most of the deceased displayed similar symptoms before death including dizziness breathing difficulties frothing at the mouth severe discomfort and a slowing heartbeatMedical examinations reportedly detected traces of alcohol and methanol in the stomach of at least one victim strengthening suspicions of chemical poisoning Final confirmation however is awaited through detailed medical and forensic reportsThe tragedy initially created panic and confusion in Fugewadi as several deaths occurred in rapid succession within a span of 24 hoursDisturbing individual cases emergeIn one of the most tragic incidents brothers Vijay and Rajendra Rathod died within hours of each other Vijay Rathod reportedly felt dizzy while at work in Vishrantwadi and was admitted to Khadki Cantonment Hospital where he later diedAfter learning of his brothers death Rajendra allegedly suffered severe shock collapsed and later died while undergoing treatment at a district hospital in Navi SangviRajesh Rajput reportedly collapsed inside the washroom of his home on Thursday morning and was declared dead before treatment could begin at YCM HospitalAkbar Pathan who reportedly had a long history of alcohol consumption allegedly consumed the liquor on Wednesday before his health deteriorated fatallyHowever police said preliminary inquiries suggested that at least four of the deceased had no history of alcohol addiction adding another dimension to the investigationPrime suspect in custodyPrime suspect Yogesh Wankhede has reportedly surrendered before police and has since been taken into custody Police are also questioning several other suspects believed to be linked to the illegal liquor racketOfficials maintained that a comprehensive investigation is underway and said the exact cause of all the deaths would become clear only after detailed medical and chemical analysis reports are received