Pune hooch death toll rises to 22; several officials suspended
Bereaved family members mourn after several people died after consuming suspected fake liquor in Phugewadi area of Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune district, Maharashtra, May 29, 2026. | Photo credit: PTI
Seventy-four-year-old Tarabai Shivnath Netke is still in shock, although she reported working for several hours after her nephew’s death in the fake liquor case.
On Saturday (May 30, 2026), a day after the family cremated Sachin Ramchandra Netke, 30, she felt angry that he had not told them that he had been sitting with his friends drinking fake liquor. Sachin was a daily wage laborer and was one of the 22 victims in the fake liquor case. So far, the Maharashtra government has suspended 22 police and excise department officials.
“In our Sanjay Nagar area of Phugewadi, 12 people died in the last three days. The day after that there were several deaths and we kept asking Sachin if he had also consumed fake liquor. He kept denying and told us that he only drank quality liquor. His cousin served him food on Thursday night. When complications arose on Thursday night, his cousin saw it. He was taken to the hospital, after which he also died. We were very scared. and we kept pleading with Sachin to tell us the truth, but on Friday morning, when Gorakh, his cousin, came to know about another death in the colony, he sent his sister to check on him at six in the morning, said Tarabai. She said the hospital had conducted an autopsy and declared the cause of death to be poisoning.
“This Sardarji has been selling fake liquor in this area for decades. He had his tin shed just a few meters from the basti, near the railway track. He was selling liquor in plastic bags for ₹10 or ₹20. Locals called these thin plastic sheets ‘balloons’. But officials said she did not visit the area regularly.
The death toll rose from 15 to 22 on Saturday (May 30). The State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) took over the investigation. 22 officials of the police and the excise department were dismissed. Medical sources at Sassoon Hospital pointed to the presence of alcohol and methanol in the village liquor as a possible cause of death.
Of the 22 deaths, twelve died in the Phugewadi incident and six in the Hadapsar area. The remaining four deaths were recorded at Sassoon Hospital. Three patients who consumed the village liquor died during treatment at the hospital. They were admitted on Thursday evening from Pandhare Mala (one person) and Sasane Nagar (two persons). Symptoms included vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and blurred vision. Each patient died within two to three hours of admission. A fourth person from Dapodi died before being taken to hospital. His post-mortem was conducted on Friday morning and the body was handed over to relatives.
Dr. Eknath Pawar, dean of Sassoon Hospital, said the bodies of the three patients who died during treatment have been autopsied. Their vital organs will be sent for chemical analysis. He added that the exact cause of death will be known only after the analysis.
The Director General of Police handed over the investigation to the CID. The process of officially taking over the documents, panchnamas and investigation report from the local police has started. A special CID team will track where the liquor comes from and where it was made.
Sunil Ramanand, Additional Director General of Police, CID, said the investigation would be based on forensic and circumstantial evidence. He said that the main perpetrators of the crime will be punished by law. Ramanand had earlier taken action under MCOCA against an organized gang during his tenure as Special Inspector General of Police in CID.
Among the 22 suspended officials are three officers from the Pune Police Force, six from the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Force and thirteen from the State Excise Department. The suspended officials include inspectors, sub-inspectors and other employees.
Published – 30 May 2026 12:25 PM IST