Dewas Mystery Deaths: Liquor Blamed, Officials Deny Poisoning

The death of several residents in Dewas district's Chandna area has become a matter of dispute, with families and officials offering starkly different explanations. Relatives of the dead believe liquor is to blame, while the local administration has ruled out poisonous liquor as the cause.

The controversy has prompted opposition leaders in Madhya Pradesh to demand an inquiry.

Some of the bereaved families told reporters that the victims had consumed liquor before falling ill. These allegations are yet to be established, and the administration has denied that the victims died after drinking spurious liquor.

One family said three men, Rahul, Deepak and Prakash, drank liquor at their place of work. Later, they felt uneasy and were taken to hospital, where they died. The family said all three deaths happened together.

Ramchandra Parmar, father of Rahul Parmar, said his son became seriously ill after drinking liquor. He described chest pain, dizziness and a fall, after which foam appeared from his mouth. He said he told officials at the scene that his son died because of liquor.

Rahul's wife, Kavita Parmar, said he had consumed liquor before he died and demanded the closure of the liquor shop in the village. She said her husband seldom drank and had never before experienced chest pain or vomiting. She urged authorities to ensure that no other family suffers the same fate.

Another relative named Rahul, Deepak, Bhima and Om Prakash among those who died, adding that they had also experienced dizziness.

These accounts represent the families' allegations and do not independently establish the cause of death.

Dewas Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhishek Sharma acknowledged that about 10 deaths had occurred in the Chandna region in recent days. He said none of them were linked to poisonous liquor and that all were caused by natural factors.

According to Sharma, three women over 70 and two men over 65 died of natural causes. Two more people died of natural causes while working in fields, and another died from a brain hemorrhage.

The incident has also triggered political criticism. Umang Singhar, Leader of the Opposition in Madhya Pradesh, accused the government of failing to stop the illegal liquor trade. He claimed 13 people died in Dewas in a suspected spurious liquor case, the third such incident in the state in three months, and referred to earlier deaths in Sagar.

Questioning the administration's contaminated water explanation, Singhar asked why those who consumed liquor fell ill if water was the cause. He also raised concerns over the lack of action against Excise Commissioner Deepak Saxena and other senior officials.

Singhar called for an impartial investigation and action against officials found guilty.

The cause of the deaths in Chandna is still unresolved. Families point to liquor, while officials continue to deny any connection with poisonous liquor.