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The state government has handed over the investigation of the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The death toll is likely to increase, police said.

Among the deceased, nine were residents of Phugewadi-Dapodi areas of Pimpri-Chinchwad under Pune district. They include Pandurang Sakharam Phuge, 53, Akbar Ajimkhan Pathan, 48, Rajesh Shantaram Rajput, 50, Anand Panderao Desai, 53, Anand Kashinath Nikalje, 64, Bhimanna Basanna Nagaral, 27, Akshay Ashok Avasarmal, 28, Sachin Ramchandra Netke, 36, and Surappa Manappa Bangari, 55.

Police said they died between May 26 and May 28 after allegedly consuming poisonous country liquor. Probe revealed they consumed hooch at an illegal liquor den in Pawar Wasti in Dapodi area.

Usha Netke, who lost her brother Sachin, said, “My brother slept off yesterday around 10 pm. He got up around midnight and was sweating profusely. After a while, he dozed off. He didn’t get up in the morning. We admitted him to YCM hospital, where he was declared dead.”

Two more persons from Phugewadi — Vijay Rathod, 31 and his brother Rajendra Rathod, 34 — also died in the same period. But the police are yet to confirm whether they died due to hooch consumption.

The remaining six victims were residents of Sasane Nagar in Hadapsar area of Pune city. They were identified as Arun Dadar, 60, Rahul Sharad Kshirsagar, 45, Ashok Ramesh Chavan, 52, Datta Madhavrao Suryawanshi, 55, Vijay Sharma,46, and Yashwant Raghunath Pawar, 62.

These victims are suspected to have consumed illicit hand-brewed liquor at Pandhare Mala and Mantri Market in Hadapsar.

Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioner Vinoy Kumar Choubey said on Friday an FIR was lodged at the Dapodi police station under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to muder), 123 (causing hurt by means of harmful substances with the intent to commit a crime), 110, 125, 275, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, sections 65(E), 68, 81 and 83 of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act.

A separate FIR was lodged by sub inspector Satyavan Gend at the Hadapsar police station in Pune city under the same sections of BNS and Maharashtra Prohibition Act on Friday, naming one Akash Jadhav, 30, and his aides, as accused.

As per this FIR, Jadhav allegedly sold poisonous liquor to deceased Dadar, Kshirsagar, Chavan and Suryawanshi at Pandhare Mala in Hadapsar during May 27 and May 28.

Families of two more deceased, Vijay Sharma and Yashwant Pawar of Pandhare Mala, said they too died after consuming liquor in the last three days.

Bijlidevi, wife of Vijay Sharma, a daily wage labourer, said he was a liquor addict. “He returned home on Wednesday night after consuming liquor brought from a local hand-brewed liquor den. But later he complained of losing his vision and feeling body pain. His condition kept worsening through the night. We rushed him to the hospital on Thursday morning, but he died,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Pimpri Chinchwad police arrested five persons. A court remanded accused Karnelsingh Takhtsingh Virka, 73, Gurmangatsingh Karnelsingh Virka, 45, both residing near Deccan Paper Mill, Sanjay Nagar, Phugewadi; Yogesh Ramchandra Wankhede, 23, of Keshavnagar in Mundhwa area Pune city, Radheshyam Hariram Prajapati, 35, of Urulikanchan, Pune, to police custody till June 8 for further investigation. Police then arrested the fifth accused Kalpesh Ashok Agrawal, 29, of Khadki.

Police said postmortem of the bodies has been done, but the medical opinion regarding the cause of deaths of the deceased is awaited. Police said viscera samples of the victims have been sent for chemical analysis and the reports are awaited.

Most of the victims had reportedly complained of irritation of eyes, blindness, stomach pain, vomiting and other symptoms before death.

As per a preliminary probe, the toxic liquor that killed them was manufactured in Uruli Kanchan and distributed to various places, police said. Police said the key accused Wankhede, earlier booked in a few criminal cases at Chaturshringi and Hadapsar police stations in Pune city, allegedly supplied liquor mixed with Methanol, which caused deaths. Police suspect he procured Methanol from Mumbai. “Further links are being investigated,” a police officer said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said, “Eight persons have been nabbed in this case. We have ordered a probe. All those involved in the supply and making of illicit liquor that leads to deaths of people will be tracked and punished. The police will get to the root of the matter to ascertain the extent of the link. Those hospitalised are being given the best medical treatment. Saving human life is the administration’s top priority. The administration has begun a major crackdown.”

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and his party activists vandalised an alleged tin shed illegal liquor den operating in the middle of a human settlement in Pandhare Mala in Sasane Nagar area of Hadapsar, on Friday afternoon.

“Police have failed to take action against the illicit liquor dens despite receiving complaints from residents. The number of deaths caused by spurious liquor is likely to be much more. Police have been collecting money from the illegal liquor racketeers. When the system fails, we citizens have to take the situation in our hands…,” said Pawar.

Pawar pointed at the “phuga (liquor packets) at the spot and blamed the state government for having no control on illegal liquor trade. “Police should not stop by arresting the small fish. The entire illegal liquor racket should be destroyed and the masterminds behind it should be held,” he said.

Police team comprising DCP (zone 6) Jeevan Benival of Pune city visited the liquor den ransacked by Pawar. It had an electricity connection, with a light and ceiling fan as well.

Nana Bhangire, a leader of the Pune unit of Shiv Sena, also staged a protest at the Hadapsar police station demanding arrests of the illicit liquor traders.