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Sagar Hooch Tragedy Accused Captured After Police Encounter
Police in Madhya Pradesh arrested Ravi Lakhera after finding him in a forest.
The arrest followed an exchange of gunfire between Lakhera and police.
Lakhera was injured in the leg and taken to a hospital.
Doctors and police said he was in stable condition.
Two people travelling with him escaped.
Police accuse Lakhera of helping make and distribute fake liquor.
The liquor tragedy has killed 16 people and left 32 others in treatment.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said those responsible would face strict action.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) says the government may be protecting the liquor business and has questioned part of the police account.
Ravi Lakhera, 45, was arrested after an exchange of fire in Sagar’s Baraytha forest early Friday.
Lakhera suffered a leg bullet injury and was taken to a hospital in Banda, where police said he was stable.
Two alleged accomplices travelling with Lakhera on a motorcycle escaped, prompting a search operation.
The spurious-liquor tragedy has killed 16 people, while 32 others are receiving treatment at hospitals.
Police have arrested 17 of the 30 people listed as accused, and Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered a judicial inquiry.
- Who
- Ravi Lakhera, police, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and other people accused in the spurious-liquor case.
- What
- Lakhera, described as one of the main accused, was arrested after a police encounter and suffered a leg injury.
- Where
- Baraytha forest in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh; Lakhera was taken to a hospital in Banda, Uttar Pradesh.
- When
- Early Friday, September 11, 2026, according to one report.
- Why
- Police allege Lakhera was involved in manufacturing and distributing spurious liquor linked to a tragedy that killed 16 people.
Government and Police Account
Opposition Concerns
Police encounter and arrest
Government and Police Account
Police say they intercepted Lakhera in Baraytha forest, exchanged fire with him, and arrested him after he was injured. One report says he opened fire after being confronted.
Opposition Concerns
The provided reports do not give a separate account from Lakhera or his legal representatives disputing the encounter.
Source of the spurious liquor
Government and Police Account
Police sources allege Lakhera worked with licensed liquor contractor Manish Lodhi, alias Yashwant Singh Lodhi, to manufacture and distribute spurious liquor through peddlers in Sagar.
Opposition Concerns
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused the Madhya Pradesh government of shielding the liquor mafia and questioned the earlier claim that the spurious liquor was supplied from Lalitpur.
Government response
Government and Police Account
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said police had acted efficiently, ordered stringent action, and said no one responsible would be spared. He also ordered a judicial inquiry and announced a campaign against drugs.
Opposition Concerns
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) challenged the government’s handling of the case by alleging protection of the liquor mafia.
Key facts
- Deaths
- 16 people
- People under treatment
- 32
- Accused arrested
- 17 of 30 listed accused
- Arrest location
- Baraytha forest, about 40 km from Sagar district headquarters
- Injury
- Bullet wound to Lakhera’s leg
- Criminal cases
- Police sources say Lakhera faces around 25 cases, mostly under the Excise Act
- Inquiry
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a judicial inquiry
Quotes
Mohan Yadav
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
“We will launch a campaign against drugs in the state and take stringent action against those responsible for such incidents.”
theprint.in
deccanchronicle.com
“The police demonstrated their efficiency, and this is why I had issued the instructions that I did.”
theprint.in
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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