FPJ Ground Report | 'No Compensation Can Bring My Father Back': Victims' Families Slam Authorities Over Pune Liquor Tragedy

Tears, anger and unanswered questions continue to haunt the families devastated by the toxic liquor tragedy that has so far claimed at least 22 lives in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. While multiple government agencies have launched investigations and crackdowns following the incident, the victims' families are asking a painful question: Why did the authorities act only after lives were lost?

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Standing outside her modest home in Pandhare Mala, Hadapsar, Lalita Angad Jagtap struggles to come to terms with the loss of her 60-year-old father, who allegedly died after consuming poisonous country-made liquor.

With tears in her eyes, she questioned the response of the administration. "Whenever such a tragedy happens, the police, excise department and politicians suddenly become active. Raids are conducted, arrests are made and announcements are issued. But why don't they take action before innocent people die?" she asked.

"No compensation can bring my father back. This is not about money. The departments responsible for stopping illegal liquor should have acted before this deadly incident occurred. Had they done their job on time, many families would not be suffering today," she said.

Her grief is shared by several other families whose lives have been shattered by the tragedy. Among them is Sunanda Sharad Kshirsagar of Hadapsar, who lost her 25-year-old son, Rahul Sharad Kshirsagar. The young man was the sole earning member of the family and worked as a daily wage labourer.

Speaking about her loss, Sunanda said her son occasionally consumed alcohol, but that did not mean he deserved to become a victim of poisonous liquor being sold openly in the area. "My son used to drink occasionally, but that does not mean someone should sell him poisonous liquor. Such liquor should never be available for sale in the first place," she said.

She alleged that illegal liquor manufacturing and distribution had been operating in the area for a long time and questioned how authorities could have remained unaware. "These illegal distilleries were not functioning overnight. They have existed for years. The local police and the excise department must have known about them. Either they ignored it or somebody benefited from it. There is no other explanation," she alleged.

The grieving mother said her family's future now hangs in uncertainty. "My son was our breadwinner. We survived on his daily income. Now he is gone. Who will support us for the rest of our lives? Not the police, not the politicians and not the government," she said.

Demanding long-term rehabilitation rather than one-time financial assistance, she urged the government to provide secure employment to her younger son, who is still studying. "We are poor people. We are always trapped between illegal activities and corruption. We need assurance that our family will not be abandoned after the media attention fades away," she added.

The growing public outrage comes even as the Crime Investigation Department (CID) has officially taken over the investigation into the toxic liquor deaths.

The tragedy has once again exposed the deadly consequences of the illegal liquor trade and raised serious concerns about enforcement failures. Residents argue that illegal liquor networks do not operate in isolation and that repeated complaints and visible activities should have triggered preventive action long before lives were lost.

As investigations continue and agencies work to identify those responsible, grieving families say justice will not be limited to arrests alone. For them, accountability must also include answers from the departments tasked with preventing such tragedies in the first place.