One person died and three others were severely affected after reportedly consuming illicit liquor at Jamwadi in Gondal taluka of Rajkot district. The Gondal taluka police have launched a search for possible hooch suppliers and have registered a case of homicide not amounting to murder.

This is the first instance of liquor-related death in the state after the Ahmedabad hooch tragedy, even as the police are awaiting the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report for confirming the same.

Hari Marathi (32), a labourer at an oil mill in the Jamwadi Industrial Estate, was rushed to Rajkot Civil Hospital in the early hours of Tuesday after he complained of vomiting and loss of vision. He later died at the hospital.

Later in the day, two more persons, Shiekh Hussain (30) and Aamdad Marathi were also admitted to the Rajkot Civil Hospital for similar symptoms.

The fourth affected person, Raju Marathi, is undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Gondal.

Gondal taluka Sub-Inspector A V Tilva said a total of five-six people, all working as labourers with the oil mills, had consumed alcohol on Monday night.

Four of them reported complications by the morning. “We have been trying to trace the supplier,” he said.

Rajkot Superintendent of Police D N Patel said: “The FSL reports are being awaited. The labourers have consumed liquor. But so far we do not know about its composition.”

He added: “A case under Section 304 of the IPC pertaining to homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against a man named Kanti. His brother and other relatives have been rounded up to trace him.”