Prime Accused In Malvani Hooch Tragedy Held in Ahmedabad

Prime accused in Mumbai’s hooch tragedy that took place in June has been held in Ahmedabad. He’s the 14th accused.

File photo of families of victims of the Malvani hooch tragedy. (Photo: PTI)

A key accused in Malvani hooch tragedy, which claimed over a hundred lives, was arrested by Ahmedabad police.

After his arrest yesterday based on a tip-off by Mumbai police, the accused Bharat Patel (42) was brought to Mumbai today, police said.

Patel is a prime accused who used to buy chemicals illegally from lorries and tankers and then sell the material to other accused who have been earlier arrested in this case by police.
— Dhananjay Kulkarni, DCP (Detection).

According to the officer, the Mumbai crime branch passed on the information about Patel yesterday to Ahmedabad police.

We informed about the exact location of Patel to Ahmedabad police who arrested him yesterday from Chand Lodhia area in Ahmedabad.
— Dhananjay Kulkarni, DCP (Detection).

Patel was produced in a local court that remanded him in police custody. With his arrest, the total number of accused held in the case has gone up to 14.

In June this year, at least 102 people had died after consuming spurious liquor consumption at Malvani area in Malad.