Local law enforcement authorities confirmed the deaths on Wednesday following an informal gathering two days prior at a farm in Kharkhadi village, falling under the jurisdiction of the Vartej police station.
The deceased have been identified as Upendrasinh Gohil, a resident of Kharkhadi village, and Narendra Singh Yadav, a native of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Police are also investigating a third suspected death linked to the same batch of illicit alcohol, pending official medical and post-mortem reports.
Hospitalizations and Forensic Testing
Following the gathering, several attendees lost consciousness and experienced severe health deterioration. Gohil was rushed to a municipal hospital in Bhavnagar, where he succumbed during emergency care. Seventeen other victims are currently undergoing medical treatment across the region—eight at the Bhavnagar Civil Hospital and nine spread across five private healthcare facilities. One patient was transferred to a facility outside the district for specialized care.
Bhavnagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey confirmed that all 17 hospitalized individuals are currently in stable condition.
"Preliminary questioning of the patients indicates that most had consumed liquor packaged in bottles carrying counterfeit branding," SP Pandey stated during a media briefing. "Samples of the seized liquid have been dispatched to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for urgent chemical analysis to identify the exact toxic compounds present."
To ensure immediate emergency response capacity, the Bhavnagar District Collector inspected the Civil Hospital on Wednesday, reviewing the supply of essential antidotes, critical care equipment, and medical staffing.
Multi-Agency Probe Traces Supply Chain to Madhya Pradesh
In response to the incident, the Bhavnagar police organized specialized task forces combining units from the Local Crime Branch (LCB), the Special Operations Group (SOG), and local station personnel. The case has officially been handed over to the Gujarat State Monitoring Cell (SMC), an apex body tasked with enforcing the state's strict liquor prohibition laws.
Authorities have detained four primary suspects, including alleged chief supplier Gautam Solanki alongside three local distributors.
Initial investigative findings indicate that the counterfeit bottles were manufactured in and smuggled from Madhya Pradesh before being routed into Bhavnagar for localized distribution. Law enforcement officials report that approximately 90 percent of the specific contraband batch has been recovered through targeted raids across the district.
"Our primary focus is tracing the complete distribution chain to ensure no further contaminated bottles remain in public circulation," SP Pandey added.
Public Health Advisory Issued
Given Gujarat’s status as a dry state under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, local authorities issued an urgent health advisory to rural communities surrounding Vartej and broader Bhavnagar.
District police urged anyone who consumed branded liquor in the area over the preceding 72 hours to report to the nearest government medical facility for preventative screening, even if exhibiting mild or no symptoms. Authorities have additionally set up anonymous reporting channels for citizens to disclose information regarding illegal bootlegging operations.
Further legal action and formal charges under the Gujarat Prohibition Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) will proceed pending final FSL toxicology findings.
