Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Sagar Spurious Liquor Case Accused Held After Police Encounter
Police in Madhya Pradesh arrested Ravi Lakhera after finding him in a forest.
The arrest followed a short exchange of gunfire.
Lakhera was hit in the leg and taken to a hospital, where police said he was stable.
Two people travelling with him escaped.
Police accuse him of helping make and sell fake liquor.
The liquor case is linked to many illnesses and deaths.
Official accounts reported 16 deaths and 32 people receiving treatment.
One report gave higher figures of 28 deaths and 46 patients.
The chief minister ordered strict action and a judicial inquiry, while the Communist Party of India (Marxist) criticized the government’s handling of the case.
Ravi Lakhera, 45, was arrested early Friday after an exchange of fire with police in Sagar’s Baraytha forest.
Lakhera suffered a bullet wound to his leg and was taken to a hospital in Banda, where police said he was stable.
Two alleged accomplices escaped on a motorcycle, and police began searching for them.
Police allege Lakhera helped manufacture and distribute spurious liquor linked to the deaths of at least 16 people.
Reports differ on the overall toll and case figures: official accounts cite 16 deaths and 32 patients, while another report cites 28 deaths and 46 patients; arrest figures range from 17 of 30 to 18 of 33 accused.
- Who
- Ravi Lakhera, Madhya Pradesh police, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, alleged accomplices, and others accused in the spurious-liquor case.
- What
- Lakhera was arrested after a police encounter and suffered a leg injury; police allege he was involved in manufacturing and distributing spurious liquor.
- When
- Early Friday, September 11, 2026.
- Where
- Baraytha forest in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh; Lakhera was taken to a hospital in Banda, Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- Police allege Lakhera was involved in an illicit liquor network connected to the spurious-liquor tragedy.
Government and Police Account
Opposition and Reported Concerns
Police encounter
Government and Police Account
Police said they intercepted Lakhera in the forest, exchanged fire with him, and arrested him after he was injured. Officials said Lakhera allegedly opened fire when confronted.
Opposition and Reported Concerns
The supplied reports do not include a separate account from Lakhera or his legal representatives disputing the police version of the encounter.
Liquor network allegations
Government and Police Account
Police allege Lakhera worked with liquor contractor Manish Lodhi, also known as Yashwant Singh Lodhi, to manufacture and distribute spurious liquor through a network of peddlers. Another report additionally linked the alleged network to Lakhera’s wife and Chandrabhan alias Chandra Rajput.
Opposition and Reported Concerns
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused the Madhya Pradesh government of shielding the liquor mafia and questioned an earlier claim that the liquor had been supplied from Lalitpur.
Casualty and arrest figures
Government and Police Account
Several reports gave the official figures as 16 deaths, 32 people under treatment, and 17 of 30 accused arrested.
Opposition and Reported Concerns
Another report cited 28 deaths, 46 patients still receiving treatment, and 18 of 33 accused arrested, while acknowledging that the official death toll was 16.
- Arrested
- Ravi Lakhera, 45, one of the main accused
- Encounter location
- Baraytha forest, about 40 km from Sagar district headquarters
- Injury
- Bullet wound to Lakhera’s leg
- Condition
- Police sources said he was stable and out of danger
- Official reported toll
- 16 deaths and 32 people undergoing treatment
- Alternative reported toll
- One report cited 28 deaths and 46 people undergoing treatment, while identifying 16 as the official death toll
- Investigation
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a judicial inquiry
Sources
MP hooch tragedy: Main accused held after encounter; no one will be spared, says CM
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MP Spurious Liquor Tragedy: Main Accused Ravi Lakhera Injured, Arrested After Police Encounter In Sagar | VIDEO
Key accused in Sagar spurious liquor tragedy held after police encounter
