CID Forms 5 Teams To Crack Pune Toxic Liquor Network; 20 More Suspects Under Scanner

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) has intensified its investigation into the toxic liquor tragedy in Pune that claimed over 20 lives between May 26 and May 28. Officials said that while 11 accused are already in police custody, nearly 20 more suspects are believed to have been involved in the illegal liquor network, and efforts are underway to trace them.

The probe is being conducted in connection with two cases registered at Dapodi and Hadapsar police stations on May 29 under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Maharashtra Prohibition Act. The cases relate to deaths allegedly caused by the consumption of poisonous country-made liquor.

According to the CID, a court has remanded the 11 arrested accused to police custody till June 10. Investigators suspect the involvement of a wider network and have constituted five special teams to track down additional accused linked to the manufacture, supply and distribution of the illicit liquor.

As part of the investigation, mobile phones and other electronic devices seized from the accused have been sent for forensic examination. Authorities are also obtaining cloned copies of the digital evidence for detailed analysis. Investigators are examining Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs) of all the accused to establish links within the network and identify others involved.

The CID has also begun recording statements of witnesses and victims' relatives as part of the ongoing inquiry.

Appealing to the public for assistance, the CID has urged anyone with information related to the toxic liquor incident to come forward. Two help centres have been established to facilitate information sharing and support affected families.

The first help centre has been set up at the Dapodi Police Chowky on the Old Pune-Mumbai Road, while the second is operating from the Pune Municipal Corporation's Regional Office No. 4 near the Hadapsar vegetable market.

The investigation is being carried out under the supervision of senior CID officers, including Additional Director General of Police Sunil Ramanand, Special Inspector General of Police Sudhir Hiremath and Superintendent of Police Shafqat Amna. Deputy Superintendents of Police Sachin Chavan and Shamrao Kale are leading the investigation on the ground.