Four individuals have died and 18 others are hospitalized following the consumption of counterfeit liquor in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district. incident,which occurred during a gathering in Kharkadi village,has raised significant concerns about illegal alcohol trade in a state where alcohol is prohibited.
Authorities reported that the victims had ingested spurious liquor from a popular Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) brand. The Bhavnagar Collector,Manish Kumar,confirmed that the district administration was alerted around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 18, 2026,after group of five friends fell ill. This alarming situation has affected not only the immediate group but also individuals from surrounding areas, leading to total of 22 people impacted.
The deceased have been identified as Kartik Makwana (40), Upendra Gohil (25), Ghanshyam Jadeja (50),and Narendra Yadav. However, the cause of Yadav's death remains uncertain, as officials are still investigating whether it was due to the counterfeit liquor.
Among the 18 individuals receiving medical care,reports indicate that two are in critical condition, four are in the ICU,and two are on ventilators. The remaining ten are stable . Kumar also noted that one patient from Surat is being treated there, while another from Jamnagar is currently asymptomatic.
In response to the crisis, Kumar urged anyone who consumed IMFL from the affected brand within the last four days to seek medical evaluation,regardless of symptoms. Medical teams from Sir T Hospital and the IKDRC kidney hospital in Ahmedabad are being dispatched to private hospitals to oversee treatment camps .
The Superintendent of Police,Nitesh Pandey, detailed the sequence of events leading to the hospitalizations. A group of individuals consumed liquor from a counterfeit bottle, resulting in one death and subsequent hospital admissions. Investigations revealed that victims had a common link: they all drank from duplicate liquor bottles.
Preliminary findings suggest that counterfeit liquor originated from Madhya Pradesh. Police are currently probing supply chain,including the production and distribution of these illicit products. Following inquiries, police teams utilized technical surveillance to apprehend four bootleggers involved in the distribution of counterfeit IMFL.
Authorities have seized numerous bottles of same brand from detained individuals. Efforts are ongoing to locate additional bootleggers connected to this illegal operation . A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory is also participating in the investigation to analyze the counterfeit liquor.
In light of the situation, Pandey has urged anyone who may have consumed alcohol from duplicate bottles to consult a physician,even if they are not experiencing any immediate health issues. The ongoing investigation aims to dismantle the network responsible for supplying spurious liquor, which poses a significant risk to public health .
