Indore, Nov 3 (PTI) Police investigating the deaths allegedly caused by spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district have arrested

Indore, Nov 3 (PTI) Police investigating the deaths allegedly caused by spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district have arrested

Indore, Nov 3 (PTI) Police investigating the deaths allegedly caused by spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district have arrested

Indore, Nov 3 (PTI) Police investigating the deaths allegedly caused by spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district have arrested state Congress spokesperson Anand Jain Kasliwal on charges of abetment of the crime and tampering with evidence, officials said on Tuesday.

    Anand Kasliwal's son Aman Kasliwal was arrested last week on charges of supplying chemicals to a liquor gang leader, they said.

    During the investigation, evidence of Indore-based Anand Jain Kasliwal's alleged involvement in the case was found, Dewas Kotwali police station in-charge Shashikant Chaurasia told PTI.

    "A private firm that supplied chemicals to liquor gang leader Ajay Rathore is ostensibly in the name of Anand Kasliwal's son, Aman, but the firm was actually operated and supervised by Anand Jain Kasliwal," he said.

    According to Chaurasia, when police summoned individuals associated with the firm for questioning after media reports about the toxic liquor case surfaced, Anand Kasliwal allegedly instructed workers to delete chemical stock records.

    The Congress leader has been arrested under provisions of the Excise Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for abetment of the crime and tampering with evidence, he said.

    After his arrest, the Congress leader complained of high blood pressure, and on the advice of doctors, he was admitted to the Dewas Civil Hospital, the official said.

    Following allegations of supplying chemicals for illicit liquor manufacturing, Anand Kasliwal, a few days before his arrest, claimed his son was innocent and that their family firm supplied 220 litres of paint thinner to a customer on a valid bill.

    According to villagers, at least 10 persons died between September 27 and October 16 in Chandana, Binjana, and surrounding areas in Dewas district after allegedly consuming poisonous liquor.

    State Congress President Jitu Patwari has claimed that 22 persons died and at least 40 lost eyesight in these areas due to the consumption of poisonous liquor.

    An investigation was initiated after the district hospital reported the deaths of two persons in Chandana village on October 15 and 18 after allegedly consuming the poisonous liquor, according to a police official.

    "The main accused, Ajay Rathore, devised a method for making liquor at home using artificial intelligence (AI) and procured chemicals from a private firm in Indore," the official said.

    "He mixed the chemicals and water to create the fake liquor and obtained empty licensed liquor bottles from scrap dealers. The accused then mixed the fake liquor with the original liquor and sold it illegally to local residents, the official added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)