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At least 15 people have died in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad after consuming spurious liquor over the last three days, police said on Friday. Eight people have been arrested, including the main accused, Colonel Virkha Singh. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the police commissioners of both cities to conduct a coordinated investigation and find the cause of the deaths, vowing to punish all those responsible.

Opposition leaders have alleged a failure in law enforcement, with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar vandalising a liquor store in protest and accusing the police of a cover-up to protect a “big fish”.

Preliminary investigations found that a Yogesh Wankhede brought ethanol from Mumbai without permission and mixed it to prepare the spurious liquor at a location in Hadapsar and then supplied it to four vendors operating in the Dapodi, Hadapsar, and Chatushrungi areas.

The first five deaths occurred on Wednesday (May 27), seven on Thursday (May 28), and three on Friday (May 29, 2026) morning. Some patients are still undergoing treatment in hospitals. Deaths have been reported from Dapodi, Phugewadi, Hadapsar, and Kalepadal.

The police have arrested eight people and said that more arrests are likely soon. The Excise Department has joined the investigation and raids were conducted at multiple liquor shops in the city overnight. The location where the liquor was prepared and the areas where it was sold are under investigation.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the law-and-order situation in Maharashtra, alleging that authorities have taken action only for “show.”

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