It may be the only state in the country to have prohibition laws in force — a ‘tribute’ to Mahatma Gandhi — but liquor is not only consumed, it is brewed blatantly, with the cops looking the other way until something terrible happens. Such as this week’s tragedy in Ahmedabad, where the death toll crossed the 100 mark on Friday.

Manish Makwana, a labourer in Ahmedabad, had to only walk up to his friendly neighbourhood bootlegger for his Rs-10 potli, which is how locally brewed liquor packed in plastic bags is known.

Post the hooch tragedy, the police rounded up 520 bootleggers in Ahmedabad city alone and around 69 from Ahmedabad rural area. The statewide raids, meanwhile, continue, with 49 women bootleggers arrested from Valsad, a south Gujarat district, alone. This is just a pointer to how many functioned out a hitch till the tragedy struck.

Police action is routinely detention, mostly before elections or festivals, with bootleggers later released. The big time names are arrested under the PASA (Prevention of Anti Social Activities) Act, but there is no serious deterrence to stop brewing and trafficking.

Brewed by the womenfolk, the men do the selling. “One litre of unadulterated hooch is mixed with about 5 litre water and sold for Rs 40 a litre. Potlis, or 250-ml pouches of this alcohol is available for just Rs 10,” said a bootlegger from Ahmedabad’s Charranagar area.

Those who are involved in the business admitted that following the high demand of country-made liquor in urban areas, the original brew, which comes from the city suburbs, is mixed with any substance that works as stimulus. And this includes expired medicines, welding rods, battery acid, urea, wood varnish and even medicines meant for cattle.

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