Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Sagar Spurious Liquor Death Toll Reaches 30; Police Bust Racket
A report says 30 people have died in a spurious-liquor tragedy in Sagar.
Police say a group was making and selling fake liquor.
The liquor was reportedly sold under the name “Sagar Gold.”
Police found bottles, labels, caps, liquor and tools in a maize field.
They arrested 16 people from a list of 30 suspects.
Chandu Rajput was identified as one alleged leader and was arrested.
Manish Lodhi and Ravi Lakhera are still missing, according to police.
Police have offered rewards for information leading to the absconding suspects.
The reported death toll in the Sagar spurious-liquor tragedy has risen to 30.
Sagar police said they busted a racket manufacturing and selling counterfeit liquor in the Banda area.
Police arrested 16 of 30 named suspects, including alleged kingpin Chandu Rajput.
Authorities seized bottles, liquor, caps, labels, packaging materials, tools and cartons from a maize field.
Rewards of ₹20,000 were announced for absconding suspects Manish Lodhi and Ravi Lakhera, while other absconders carry ₹10,000 rewards.
- Who
- Sagar police, including SP Anurag Sujania, arrested 16 of 30 named suspects; Chandu Rajput was identified as an alleged kingpin, while Manish Lodhi and Ravi Lakhera were named as absconding suspects.
- What
- Police said they busted a racket involved in manufacturing and trading spurious liquor, while the reported death toll rose to 30.
- When
- The reward announcement was made on Wednesday; police said counterfeit liquor was manufactured two days before Janmashtami.
- Where
- The alleged production site was a maize field in the Banda area of Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh; the liquor was supplied to nearby villages.
- Why
- According to police, the suspects manufactured and sold counterfeit liquor using spirit, packaging materials, labels and wrappers.
- Reported death toll
- 30
- Named suspects
- 30
- Arrests
- 16
- Counterfeit production
- 50 cases of liquor reportedly manufactured under the “Sagar Gold” brand
- Seizure
- 164 empty quarter-bottles, 27 litres of substandard liquor, about 170 caps, 150 labels and production materials
- Top reward
- ₹20,000 each for information on Manish Lodhi and Ravi Lakhera
- Other suspect reward
- ₹10,000 for the remaining absconding suspects