Dr Nilay Thakore, Associate Professor of Medicine, V S Hospital, who is handling the case, said: Navsar gandhak and fermented fruits are mixed with liquor to prepare the brew. The treatment is to administer 450 ml of ethyl alcohol, which is pure whisky, to the patients. But the survival rates are very slim here.”

N P Chavda, a relative of Manish Makwana (22), one of the patients said: “This has done no good to anyone. Arvind Solanki (the bootlegger) is dead along with his son and nephew, who had also consumed lattha and died after complaining of stomach-ache. These boys used to go to drink every other day.”

A relative of the deceased said: “We had to file a police complaint at night after many people started complaining of vomiting and we got to know that it is a result of liquor consumption.”

The deaths led to rioting when the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) along with the local police came to Majoor Gam around 2 pm to conduct raids on illegal liquor dens. Irate residents started shouting slogans against the police and the Modi government for their alleged inability to enforce prohibition in the state and failure to crack down on illegal liquor dens. Finally, the police had to resort to lathicharge and lob 14 teargas shells after the residents roughed up some policemen and pelted stones on their vans.

“Six people were arrested on the spot on charges of rioting,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone VI, Sachin Badsha.

... contd.