A petition for a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been lodged with the Punjab & Haryana High Court, urging an inquiry into the distribution of counterfeit alcohol believed to have resulted in fatalities among consumers in Punjab.

It has been reported that in March, 21 individuals lost their lives due to the consumption of illicit liquor, which is readily available and being unlawfully sold, purportedly with the collusion of police and excise authorities in Sangrur, Punjab.

Bikramjit Singh Bajwa, a resident of Punjab, has approached the High Court, asserting that despite the imposition of a code of conduct due to the impending parliamentary elections, wrongdoers are operating freely to peddle counterfeit liquor for nefarious purposes. The fatalities have been recorded in villages Ravidass Pura, Tibri, Gujran, Oppli, and Dhondoli Khurd of Sangrur District. The petition contends that this marks the third significant incident in Punjab resulting in multiple deaths, with neither the perpetrators being held accountable nor the police successfully dismantling the networks of gangs involved in the illicit liquor trade, operating without fear of government intervention.

The petitioner contends that investigations have revealed the presence of methanol in the spurious alcohol, a substance known to be fatal to humans. As a result, the petition also calls for the implementation of stringent guidelines governing the sale of methanol to prevent further tragic incidents.

Case Title: Bikramjit Singh Bajwa v. State of Punjab & Ors.