Illicit alcohol poisonings, often called “hooch tragedies,” happen repeatedly across India, most recently in Amritsar, Punjab, killing at least 23 people.
Victims are usually poor daily wage workers looking for cheap alcohol to escape daily hardships.
Bootleggers exploit this by selling unsafe, homemade alcohol using toxic ingredients like methanol, which is poisonous and used in industry.
Methanol is easy to steal and cheap, making it profitable for bootleggers, though dangerous or deadly when consumed.
These cases often involve a hidden network of corrupt officials, police, and local politicians.
Police are sometimes suspended, but the core problem is larger: organised theft and misuse of methanol.
Methanol is legal for industrial use but becomes dangerous when used in alcohol; it's classified as a Class B poison in many states.
Even when bootleggers are arrested, convictions are rare, and court cases drag on for years.
Stronger laws, better regulation of methanol transport, and stricter enforcement are needed.
The real solution lies in ending poverty, improving education, and cleaning up corruption in law enforcement.
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