Meerut,

6 April (HS): Police detained three people, including a woman, after three

males drank alcohol from the same bottle and died, police said, adding that

they suspected foul play.

Police

detained three people, including a woman, after three males drank alcohol from

the same bottle and died, according to police, who suspect foul play.

According

to authorities, the three victims -- Baburam (60), a grocery store owner;

Jitendra (35), a shop employee; and Ankit alias Daulat (40) -- bought booze

from a government-authorized rural liquor business on Friday evening and began

drinking there. However, they soon started vomiting and complaining about

stomach pain. They were brought to the hospital, where Jitendra and Ankit were

pronounced dead, while Baburam died during treatment.

After

receiving information, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police for the

Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, District Magistrate VK Singh, Senior Superintendent

of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey, and District Excise Officer Pradeep Kumar

arrived to the scene and launched an inquiry. According to SSP Avinash Pandey,

preliminary investigations have not confirmed if the booze was toxic or

expired. The bottling date was determined to be February 11, 2026, and no

other bottles from the same batch had similar complaints. After the Excise

Laboratory report failed to identify the presence of methanol or chloral

hydrate, police undertook a more thorough investigation, which indicated that

the occurrence was not a case of regular alcohol consumption, but rather a

murder carried out as part of a plot, police claimed.

Pandey

stated that throughout the inquiry, officers examined CCTV video, technological

evidence, and enquired locally. Following this, the case was considered

suspicious. During interrogation, the principal accused, Pawan Ahlawat (alias Poli),

disclosed that he had a long-term connection with the deceased Ankit's sister,

Alka. Alka was upset by her brother's alcoholism and aggressive behavior, so

she devised a plot to kill him. As part of this scheme, Pawan obtained a toxic

chemical from an associate, Ashok Verma, put it into a packet of whiskey,

sealed it, and gave it to Ankit. According to police, Ankit ingested the

aforementioned booze. Jitendra and Baburam, who were present at the moment,

died after drinking from the same bottle. Police have apprehended Alka, Pawan

Ahlawat, and Ashok Verma. Further inquiry is underway.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi