Even as investigators desperately hunt for the source of methyl alcohol, those in the hooch business suspect that the substance, which has claimed over 100 lives, could be discarded medicines, which are sold in the flea markets across the state.

The Indian Express managed to get some of the medicines, which were being sold at the Shukravari Bazaar (Friday flea market) in Fatehpura area of the city after a long gap. Shockingly, some of the medicines that were supplied by the Health Department and are supposed to be distributed only in government hospitals, were sold in this market for a meagre Rs 5 for a strip of 10 tablets.

For Rs 10, the newspaper bought 10 strips of Ferrious Sulphate Tab with ‘Gujarat government supply, not for sale’ written on it, Calcium Gluconate, Metrogyl 400, E-Folifer Tab and Amoxycillin. Interestingly, none of these medicines were outdated, including Ferrious Sulphate supplied by the state Health Department. “We get these tablets from the Sir Sayajirao General Hospital compound near the bridge close to Bahucharaji, where they are regularly dumped,” said a vendor selling these medicines at the Friday market.

A bootlegger in the Walled City area said on condition of anonymity: “This is one of the many cheapest ways to make the hooch more ‘effective’. Most of the drugs have some or the other substance, which affects the nervous system. We don’t check which tablet or syrup we are dumping in the hooch. Our intention is to make the brew as strong as possible since we have to compete with rivals.”

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