Malwani Hooch Tragedy: Gujarat-Based Chemical Supplier Arrested

26 June, Mumbai

Mumbai Police have nabbed a Gujarat-based chemical supplier in connection with the Malwani hooch tragedy that claimed 103 lives, officials said Friday .

The arrested has been identified as Kishore Patel whosupplied the methanol which was used to mix the deadly brew, takingthe total number of arrests in the case to nine so far.

He was arrested last evening and brought to Mumbai for investigations after his name was revealed by the kingpin, Mansoor Latif, who was nabbed from Delhi earlier this week.

According to the investigators, Patel supplied the methanol to a bootlegger Francis D’Mello who allegedly prepared the killer brew by mixing it with water and sold it to local liquor outlets in Malwani. The cheap illicit killer hooch, served at a country liquor den in Malwani area of north-west Mumbai, has so far claimed 103 lives, making it the state’s worst-ever hooch tragedy till date.

The Maharashtra government has announced a probe and compensation of Rs.100,000 to the next of kin of the deceased.