Chandigarh, May 13 || As the hooch death toll in Punjab rose to 17, most of the victims daily-wagers, and many critical in Amritsar district, Punjab Police on Tuesday said it has arrested 10 people, including the kingpin of the racket, along with several distributors and suppliers of methanol, a fatal chemical used in industrial products, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here.
The kingpin has been identified as Sahib Singh, while, main suppliers of methanol have been identified as Pankaj Kumar and Arvind Kumar, owners of Sahil Chemicals at Sukh Enclave in Ludhiana. Police have also arrested local distributors, Prabhjit Singh and Kulbir Singh; and local sellers, Ninder Kaur, Sahib Singh, Gurjant Singh, Arun, alias Kala, and Sikander Singh, alias Pappu.
The deaths were reported in Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan and Therewal villages of Majitha sub-division.
The state government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for each of the deceased's families and assured the government would support their families.
DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the methanol, after being procured online by kingpin Sahib Singh, was used for manufacturing spurious liquor.
Investigation is underway to uncover the entire modus operandi and to bring all involved to justice, he said.