Dewas Kotwali police station in-charge Shashikant Chaurasia said police arrested 10 people on Monday for allegedly selling illicit liquor and recovered six cartons of country liquor from them. Interrogation then revealed the alleged production network behind the spurious liquor, police said on Wednesday.
Source: Khel Ja (agency report)
What police say about the AI claim
According to police, prime accused Ajay Rathore had been using AI since late September to search for methods of preparing alcohol at home by mixing chemicals and water. He then allegedly ordered chemicals through a private firm in Indore, prepared the mixture at home with the help of other accused, and filled it into empty bottles of licensed liquor brands bought from scrap dealers between October 2 and 7. The fake liquor was allegedly mixed with genuine alcohol and sold to local residents, mainly in rural areas, between October 6 and 12.
Among the 10 arrested are two managers and two salesmen associated with three licensed liquor shops in Dewas and Indore districts, who allegedly supplied liquor illegally to Rathore and the other accused. Police say two more employees of a licensed shop may be involved and a search is on for them. The Indore warehouse of the firm that allegedly supplied the chemicals has been sealed, and provisions of the Excise Act have been added to the case.
The deaths link is still not established
The arrests come against the backdrop of claims of multiple deaths in Chandana, Binjana and nearby villages of Dewas district. Villagers have claimed that at least 10 people died after allegedly consuming poisonous liquor between September 27 and October 16, while Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari has claimed a higher toll of 22 deaths and alleged that around 40 people lost eyesight. The district administration has denied that the deaths were caused by spurious liquor: Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda said on October 25 that post-mortem reports found no trace of spurious liquor, and a five-member committee formed the same day is to report within 15 days.
What is solid
- 10 people arrested on Monday; six cartons of country liquor recovered, Dewas Kotwali in-charge Shashikant Chaurasia said
- Police allege prime accused Ajay Rathore used AI from late September to learn home production and sourced chemicals from an Indore firm whose warehouse is now sealed
- Viscera samples of two deceased persons and the seized liquor have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory; police have not confirmed the liquor caused any death
What is only claimed
- Villagers claim at least 10 deaths in Chandana and Binjana between September 27 and October 16 were caused by poisonous liquor; Congress leader Jitu Patwari claims 22 deaths and about 40 cases of vision loss
- The district administration and Deputy CM Jagdish Devda say post-mortem reports found no trace of spurious liquor and the recorded deaths were from natural causes and other ailments
Chaurasia said the exact cause of the deaths will be established only after the forensic reports are received. The investigation is examining the alleged production process, the supply chain and any possible link between the seized liquor and the reported deaths.
If the police account is borne out, this would be among the first cases in India where investigators say AI tools were used to learn illicit liquor production — while the central question in Dewas, whether spurious liquor killed anyone, remains officially unanswered until the FSL reports arrive.