Around 10 deaths reported in the Chandana area of Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh, over the past few days have triggered a sharp dispute between bereaved families and local authorities, with families alleging the deceased had consumed alcohol before falling ill, while the district administration has attributed the fatalities to natural causes and other unrelated reasons.

What the Families Allege

Multiple family members told reporters that several of the deceased — identified as Rahul, Deepak, Bhima, and Om Prakash — had consumed alcohol before suddenly falling ill. Ramchandra Parmar, whose son Rahul Parmar died, alleged that his son experienced chest pain, dizziness, and foam at the mouth after drinking. 'After consuming alcohol, he experienced chest pain and collapsed due to dizziness. Foam then came out of his mouth. When the administration arrived, I told them that my son had died due to alcohol,' he said.

Rahul's widow, Kavita Parmar, also alleged her husband had consumed alcohol before his death and demanded the closure of the local liquor shop. 'He used to drink only a little. He had never experienced chest pain or vomiting before, but this time he did. The liquor shop here should be shut down. What happened to me should not happen to anyone else,' she said. Another family member said Rahul, Deepak, Bhima, and Om Prakash had all experienced dizziness before their deaths. The accounts provided by the families reflect their allegations and do not independently establish the cause of death.

What the Administration Said

Dewas Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhishek Sharma confirmed that around 10 deaths had occurred in the Chandana area over the past several days but categorically denied any link to spurious or poisonous liquor. 'None of the deaths occurred due to poisonous liquor. The deaths were due to natural causes,' Sharma said.

According to Sharma, three women above the age of 70 and two men above 65 had died of natural causes. Two others had died while working in agricultural fields, also attributed to natural causes, and one man died of a brain haemorrhage.

Opposition Demands Investigation

Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar alleged that the state government had failed to curb the illegal liquor trade. Singhar claimed that 13 people had died in a suspected spurious liquor incident in Dewas and described it as the third such case in the state in three months, referencing earlier deaths reportedly linked to liquor in Sagar.

Singhar questioned the administration's explanation, asking why people who allegedly consumed alcohol had fallen ill if contaminated water or natural causes were responsible. He also demanded accountability for Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena and other senior officials, and called for an impartial investigation and action against officials found responsible.

The Disputed Picture

The cause of the deaths in Chandana remains officially unresolved. Opposition parties across Madhya Pradesh have joined the demand for an independent probe. Notably, this is not the first time deaths in the state have been linked — allegedly or otherwise — to spurious liquor, raising broader questions about the effectiveness of excise enforcement in Madhya Pradesh. The state government has not yet issued a formal response to the Opposition's demands, and no autopsy findings establishing cause of death have been made public as of 24 October 2026.

With families pressing for the closure of local liquor outlets and opposition leaders escalating the matter politically, the coming days are likely to see further pressure on the administration to make its forensic and post-mortem findings transparent.