Bhavnagar hooch tragedy: Delhi supplier among 31 arrested as methanol trail traced
Synopsis
Gujarat Police have traced the methanol behind the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy — which killed 13 people — all the way to a Delhi-based supplier, with 31 now arrested across multiple states. A seized bottle showed 38.59% methanol; the liquor was sold in fake Royal Stag packaging. The cross-state supply chain exposes how organised networks circumvent Gujarat's prohibition laws.
Key Takeaways
The Bhavnagar hooch tragedy has claimed 13 lives in Kharakdi village, Ghogha taluka since 18 August .
31 accused have been arrested, including three Delhi -based suspects — Pramodkumar Budakoti , Rohit Pradhan , and Keshav Jatav .
Chemical analysis of a seized bottle recorded 38.59% methanol and 0.94% ethanol ; liquor was sold in fake Royal Stag packaging.
16 SMC teams were deployed across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh , and Gujarat districts.
Seven police personnel have faced disciplinary action for alleged negligence in the case.
Further arrests are expected as investigators continue tracing the supply chain.
The Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has traced the methanol allegedly used to manufacture poisonous liquor in the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy to Delhi, with three fresh arrests in the national capital pushing the total number of accused in custody to 31, officials confirmed on Thursday, 27 August. The tragedy, centred on Kharakdi village in Ghogha taluka, has claimed 13 lives since it came to light on 18 August.
How the Delhi supply chain was uncovered
Investigators established that Delhi resident Pramodkumar Budakoti allegedly supplied methanol illegally to two other Delhi-based individuals, Rohit Pradhan and Keshav Jatav. The latter two allegedly arranged for the chemical to be transported — through a chain of other accused — to a transport company godown in Ahmedabad. With assistance from the Delhi Police, SMC teams arrested all three men; the process of securing transit remand and bringing them to Gujarat was underway as of Thursday, police said.
Scale of the investigation
The SMC, which took charge of the case on the directions of Director General of Police G S Malik with Police Inspector S M Jadeja leading the probe, deployed 16 teams across Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and multiple districts of Gujarat. Teams were specifically tasked with tracing the origin of methanol and other chemicals, identifying transporters, and mapping the route through which the chemicals entered Gujarat. Police described the identification of the Delhi-based supplier as a breakthrough in establishing the chemical's source.
What the chemical analysis revealed
An earlier phase of the investigation found that the spurious liquor had been sold in bottles bearing stickers resembling the Royal Stag brand. Chemical analysis of a seized bottle recorded 38.59% methanol and just 0.94% ethanol — a composition that is acutely toxic and far outside any permissible threshold. The liquor had allegedly been prepared using toxic chemicals and distributed through a wider network centred on and around Kharakdi village.
Accountability and further action
A case was initially registered on 18 August at Vartej Police Station as an accidental death; it was subsequently expanded against 21 accused under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Gujarat Prohibition Act. Seven police personnel have also faced disciplinary action for alleged negligence in connection with the incident. The SMC said further arrests remain possible as investigators continue to follow the supply chain and gather evidence.
What comes next
The investigation is ongoing across procurement, transportation, manufacture, and distribution nodes of the poisonous liquor network. With the methanol supply trail now extending to Delhi, authorities are expected to widen their net beyond Gujarat. The case underscores the persistent challenge of enforcing prohibition in Gujarat — a dry state — against organised cross-state liquor networks.
Point of View
Cross-state supply chain that routed industrial methanol from Delhi through Ahmedabad into rural Gujarat. The fake Royal Stag packaging points to deliberate consumer deception, not opportunistic brewing. Gujarat has been a dry state for decades, yet organised liquor networks repeatedly exploit the enforcement gap between prohibition on paper and policing on the ground. Seven personnel facing disciplinary action is a start, but the systemic question — how methanol moved across four states undetected — demands answers beyond individual arrests.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy?
The Bhavnagar hooch tragedy refers to a mass poisoning incident in Kharakdi village, Ghogha taluka, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, in which 13 people died after consuming methanol-laced spurious liquor. The case was first registered on 18 August at Vartej Police Station.
How many people have been arrested in the Bhavnagar hooch case?
A total of 31 people have been arrested as of 27 August, including three Delhi-based suspects — Pramodkumar Budakoti, Rohit Pradhan, and Keshav Jatav — who were detained with assistance from the Delhi Police.
Where did the methanol used in the hooch come from?
According to the Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell, the methanol was allegedly supplied by Delhi resident Pramodkumar Budakoti to two other Delhi individuals, who then arranged for it to be transported to a godown in Ahmedabad before it reached Bhavnagar.
What did the chemical analysis of the seized liquor show?
Analysis of a seized bottle recorded 38.59% methanol and just 0.94% ethanol. The bottle bore a sticker resembling the Royal Stag brand, indicating deliberate counterfeiting to mislead consumers.
What action has been taken against police personnel?
Seven police personnel have faced disciplinary action for alleged negligence in connection with the Bhavnagar hooch tragedy. The investigation has been transferred to the Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell, led by Police Inspector S M Jadeja, on the directions of DGP G S Malik.
