Majitha Tragedy Rekindles Painful Memories of 2020 Punjab Hooch Disaster

• May 13, 2025

The recent death of 14 people in Majitha, Amritsar, due to spurious liquor has once again highlighted the deadly consequences of the illicit alcohol trade in Punjab. The tragedy has brought back memories of the 2020 hooch disaster, one of the deadliest in the state’s history, which claimed 121 lives across three border districts—Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur.

The 2020 Tragedy

In July 2020, mass casualties were reported:

• 92 deaths in Tarn Taran

• 15 in Amritsar

• 14 in Batala (Gurdaspur)

The scale of the tragedy prompted the then Chief Minister to order a high-level investigation. Police later arrested over 50 individuals, including a prominent Ludhiana-based businessman believed to be the key supplier.

The investigation revealed that the accused had procured three drums of methanol, a toxic industrial chemical. The methanol was then smuggled into the three districts, where it was used to produce illicit liquor by diluting it with other substances and sold to unsuspecting consumers.

In the aftermath, six police officers and Excise Department officials were suspended, amid allegations of negligence and possible complicity.

A Grim Pattern Emerges

The 2020 incident—and now the 2024 Majitha tragedy—highlight the persistent challenges in regulating and policing the production and distribution of alcohol in Punjab. Despite past crackdowns and policy promises, bootlegging networks continue to thrive, often aided by weak enforcement and, at times, institutional lapses.

The recurrence of such tragedies points to a pressing need for:

• Tighter regulation of chemical and ethanol sales

• Stronger oversight of the Excise Department

• Swift and transparent investigations

• Accountability across all levels of law enforcement

As Punjab reels from another avoidable loss of life, calls are growing louder for systemic reforms and decisive action to dismantle the state’s entrenched illicit liquor networks.