Pune hooch tragedy: 3 Hadapsar cops suspended for negligence
Synopsis
Three Hadapsar cops have been suspended after toxic illicit liquor killed multiple people in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The official order names gross negligence and oversight failure — and with a formal FIR, political backlash, and daily attendance reporting imposed on the suspended officers, this is accountability under pressure, not routine procedure.
Key Takeaways
Pune Police suspended three Hadapsar Police Station officers on 29 May 2026 following deaths from toxic illicit liquor.
The suspended officers are Senior PI Sanjay Mogle , API Hasina Sikalgar , and PSI Hasan Mulani .
FIR registered as Crime No.
379/2026 under BNS Sections 105, 123, 125, 275, 3(5) and Maharashtra Prohibition Act Sections 65(e), 68, 81, 83 .
Accused reportedly adulterated country liquor with poisonous chemicals, knowingly distributing it despite lethal risk.
Suspended officers must report daily to Pune City Police Control Room and cannot leave headquarters without permission.
Three police officers attached to Hadapsar Police Station in Pune were suspended on 29 May 2026 following the deaths caused by the consumption of illicit, toxic country liquor in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The Pune Police administration cited gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and a severe failure of supervision as grounds for the disciplinary action.
Officers Suspended
The three suspended officials are Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Mogle, Assistant Police Inspector Hasina Sikalgar, and Police Sub-Inspector Hasan Mulani. All three were posted at Hadapsar Police Station and were actively serving in its crime investigation wing at the time of the incident.
What the FIR Says
A case bearing Crime No. 379/2026 was registered at Hadapsar Police Station on 29 May. The FIR invokes multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — Sections 105, 123, 125, 275, and 3(5) — as well as Sections 65(e), 68, 81, and 83 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949.
Preliminary investigations established that the accused illegally manufactured toxic country liquor, adulterating it with poisonous chemicals before transporting and distributing it across the area. According to the official order, the accused knowingly sold the lethal concoction, directly causing multiple fatalities.
Basis for Suspension
The official suspension order explicitly attributed the tragedy to severe negligence and oversight failures on the part of the three officers. The department also noted that widespread media coverage and social media outrage had significantly damaged the image of the police force, raising serious questions about administrative efficiency.
The action was taken under powers vested by the Mumbai Police (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1956, and the Mumbai Police Act, 1951. The suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in force pending completion of a primary and departmental inquiry.
Conditions During Suspension
Under the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules, 1981, the suspended officers will receive a subsistence allowance along with city allowance, house rent allowance (HRA), and dearness allowance (DA) as per applicable regulations. They are barred from leaving headquarters without prior permission and must report daily at the Pune City Police Control Room to mark attendance.
Political and Social Fallout
The hooch tragedy has triggered fierce political and social backlash across Pune. The swift suspension of officers is widely seen as a signal from the administration that accountability will be enforced. This is not an isolated incident — hooch tragedies have periodically struck Maharashtra, often exposing gaps in local enforcement of the state's prohibition and excise laws.
Point of View
But it also raises an uncomfortable question: how did an illegal liquor network operate long enough in Hadapsar's jurisdiction to cause multiple deaths before enforcement caught up? The FIR's invocation of provisions that imply knowledge of lethality suggests this was not a one-off supply chain failure. Maharashtra has seen recurring hooch tragedies, and each time the post-incident response follows the same script — suspensions, FIRs, political outrage — without a structural fix to the ground-level enforcement gaps that allow illicit liquor to proliferate. The real test is whether the departmental inquiry goes beyond the three suspended officers to examine systemic failures in excise and police coordination.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Pune hooch tragedy of May 2026?
The Pune hooch tragedy refers to multiple deaths caused by the consumption of toxic illicit country liquor in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Preliminary investigations indicate the liquor was adulterated with poisonous chemicals and knowingly distributed by the accused.
Who are the three police officers suspended in the Pune hooch case?
The three suspended officers are Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Mogle, Assistant Police Inspector Hasina Sikalgar, and Police Sub-Inspector Hasan Mulani, all posted at Hadapsar Police Station's crime investigation wing.
What charges have been filed in the Pune hooch case?
An FIR bearing Crime No. 379/2026 was registered at Hadapsar Police Station on 29 May 2026 under BNS Sections 105, 123, 125, 275, and 3(5), as well as Sections 65(e), 68, 81, and 83 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act, 1949.
Why were the Hadapsar police officers suspended?
The Pune Police administration suspended the officers citing gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and severe failure of supervision that allowed the illicit liquor network to operate in their jurisdiction, directly contributing to the deaths.
What restrictions apply to the suspended Pune Police officers?
The three suspended officers must report daily to the Pune City Police Control Room to mark attendance and are prohibited from leaving headquarters without prior permission. They will receive a subsistence allowance along with HRA, DA, and city allowance during the suspension period.
