New Delhi: With the toll in the spurious liquor tragedy in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, rising to 15 and reportedly leaving at least 40 hospitalised, many in critical condition, the police of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh have denied any connection with any liquor "gang" in the state behind the tragedy.

At the same time, Congress party's Jitu Patwari, a former minister in the Madhya Pradesh government, has alleged that the death toll in the latest incident of spurious liquor consumption is higher than the Madhya Pradesh government is letting on.

"Our government and administration are concealing the death toll; more than 50 people have died," Patwari told reporters, claiming he had personally visited the families of the deceased at 33 locations. He said the government must file an FIR against police officials meant to control such occurrences. 

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh police has said that 19 of the 20 people it had arrested during a joint operation against spurious liquor manufacturers were from Madhya Pradesh. This operation was conducted months before the Sagar hooch tragedy – in May 2026, reports said.

"The accused, Ravi Lakhera, holds liquor shop licenses in Madhya Pradesh, and several criminal cases related to liquor are registered against him in various police station areas of Madhya Pradesh," Lalitpur Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh said.

He also said that in the case registered on September 6 at Banda police station under Crime No. 658/2026, all 20 named accused are residents of Madhya Pradesh. Banda is in Uttar Pradesh.

The gang the police busted was reportedly led by Ravi Lakhera and Chandresh Lodhi and they face charges under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986.

"No illegal liquor of any kind is being produced anywhere in Lalitpur from spirit/chemicals, etc. If any facts connected to Lalitpur have emerged so far in the Sagar Police investigation, they should certainly be shared with the Lalitpur police," Singh said.

Sagar Police had said Monday (September 7) that it had found a link between the alcohol people consumed in the district and Lalitpur. Sagar Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujaniya had referred to earlier illicit liquor case in Lalitpur while speaking about a “strong possibility” of the same trail being responsible for the latest tragedy, said a report in the Statesman.

Uttar Pradesh has had a BJP government in power for close to a decade, while in Madhya Pradesh, the party has been in power for around two decades, near-continuously.

Meanwhile PTI reports citing Sagar collector Pratibha Pal that around seven afflicted by the spurious liquor were admitted to Banda Civil Hospital, around 70 at Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital and 17 at the district hospital, while one person was airlifted to Bhopal.

Asked about reports pegging the death toll at 22 to 24, she said the administration was going by the rules and the post mortem reports.

Congress leader PC Sharma and former MLA and minister in the state also told PTI, "Previously, when lives were lost to toxic liquor in Gujarat, the culprits were apprehended in Badnagar, Ujjain. Clearly, the production of this toxic liquor is taking place somewhere in Madhya Pradesh, yet the government is unable to apprehend those responsible."

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