📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / करीर at hi.wikipedia
Health
Poisoned Liquor Death Toll in Sagar's Banda Constituency Varies from 13 to Over 50, Officials and Opposition Disagree
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 08 Sep 2026, 01:38 PM
👁 24
Government data and opposition claims differ sharply on the number of deaths caused by contaminated liquor in Sagar's Banda assembly seat, with figures ranging from 13 to more than 50.
The administration in Madhya Pradesh has officially recorded 13 deaths linked to the consumption of poisonous liquor in the Banda constituency of Sagar district. Opposition leaders, however, allege that the actual death toll is higher, citing a figure of 27 fatalities based on reports from local health workers and community members.
Further complicating the picture, several grassroots organisations and residents claim that more than 50 people may have succumbed to the tainted alcohol, pointing to unregistered deaths and missing persons in the area. The disparity has fueled political tension ahead of upcoming local elections, with each side demanding a transparent investigation.
State health officials have announced a probe to verify the exact number of casualties and to identify the source of the contaminated liquor. Meanwhile, law‑enforcement agencies have begun seizing suspect batches and questioning vendors suspected of distributing the illicit brew.
The controversy underscores broader concerns about the regulation of illicit liquor in central India, where periodic spikes in alcohol‑related deaths have prompted calls for stricter monitoring and faster response mechanisms.
Further complicating the picture, several grassroots organisations and residents claim that more than 50 people may have succumbed to the tainted alcohol, pointing to unregistered deaths and missing persons in the area. The disparity has fueled political tension ahead of upcoming local elections, with each side demanding a transparent investigation.
State health officials have announced a probe to verify the exact number of casualties and to identify the source of the contaminated liquor. Meanwhile, law‑enforcement agencies have begun seizing suspect batches and questioning vendors suspected of distributing the illicit brew.
The controversy underscores broader concerns about the regulation of illicit liquor in central India, where periodic spikes in alcohol‑related deaths have prompted calls for stricter monitoring and faster response mechanisms.