Mumbai hooch tragedy: Methanol supplier nabbed from Gujarat

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

He has been identified as Kishore Patel, who supplied the methanol which was used to prepare the deadly brew. With his arrest, the total number of arrests in the case is nine so far.

He was arrested late Thursday and brought to Mumbai for investigations after his name was revealed by the kingpin, Mansoor Latif alias Atique, 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 local liquor outlets in Malwani.

Patel will be produced before a magistrate later on Friday for remand.

On June 17, scores of persons consumed the cheap illicit hooch at a country liquor den in Malwani area of north-west Mumbai and fell ill.

Over the next few days, 103 people succumbed to the poisonous effects of the hooch, making it the state's worst-ever hooch tragedy till date.

The Maharashtra government has announced a probe and compensation of Rs.1 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.