On Wednesday, four people allegedly died while on the next day, four more people succumbed during treatment at Patiala’s Rajindra Hospital. On Friday, eight people died and five more people expired on Saturday, taking the total death toll to 21.
According to police, a total of eight people have been arrested in connection with the case so far.
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has constituted a "high-level" Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.
In a post on X, the Punjab Police said, "A High-level Committee has been setup to supervise the uncovering of the backward and forward linkages in a professional & scientific manner to unearth the nexus behind the whole matter. A four-member SIT headed by ADGP Law & Order Gurinder Dhillon IPS, and including DIG Patiala Range Harcharan Bhullar IPS, SSP Sangrur Sartaj Chahal IPS & Additional Commissioner (Excise) Naresh Dubey will supervise the investigations. SIT will go to the bottom of the conspiracy".
"No person found involved will be spared. Appeal to everyone to maintain peace and harmony. Don’t fall prey to unverified rumours," it added.
Moreover, the Election Commission has demanded an immediate report from Punjab's chief secretary and director general of police regarding the incident.
Authorities have disclosed that the suspected consumption of spurious liquor, containing methanol, has led to the loss of lives in Sangrur district.
The political landscape surrounding the tragedy has intensified, with opposition parties targeting the AAP government. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticized Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's administration, questioning why Excise Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has not resigned amidst the crisis.
Tarun Chugh, BJP's national general secretary, has alleged a nexus between the tragedy and a "liquor scam" allegedly operating under the AAP government's patronage. The BJP further escalated the issue, pressing for an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the state's excise policy, citing concerns of illicit funds being used during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
