Gandhinagar: Three persons are dead after consuming a spurious alcohol tonic syrup, while two others are believed to be dead for the same reason in Bilodara and Bagdu villages of Central Gujarat.

According to the State Police chief DGP Vikas Sahay – One Kishor had given tonic syrup bottles to around fifty persons. Three of those who consumed it are dead. Two others are also dead but prima facie they were not given this tonic. However, it’s a matter of investigation. Two suspects are picked up by police in this case and their questioning is on by Kheda Police and State Monitoring Cell of Gujarat Police.

DGP Sahay further said that due to a manufacturing defect, a portion of Mythenol could be present in syrup, following which deaths of those who consumed it might have occurred.

He said around fifty persons who were given this syrup tonic were questioned and only one among them, had visited a doctor and he was doing well.  The father of shopkeeper Kishor had consumed this tonic syrup and he was taken to hospital.

It is learnt that the spurious drink had the Kalmeghasava Asava Arishtha Syrup brand name on bottles. While manufacturing of such Aasava needs permission, its selling is permitted anywhere and to anyone. There are no rules pertaining to its sale. The shop from where this tonic was sold was Kishan Kirana Store in Bilodara. The bottle was sold for Rs. 130. The shopkeeper would buy it for Rs. 100.

Police sent samples of the blood of the deceased Natubhai, and the father of Kishor to Forensic Science Laboratory. Police said Ethyl Alcohol which is used for making liquor is not found in syrup, but Mithyle Alcohol is found. Whether its presence could be attributed to contamination or else is being probed.

Among three persons who died in Bilodara after consuming syrup, two were cremated by family members without informing the Police, but the Police could timely rope in relatives of the third deceased Natubhai Sodha for their support in the investigation and performed panel postmortem and also took samples. The deaths happened on 27 and 28 November after victims complained of chest pain.

Police found that Kishan Kirana Store had procured bottles from Nadiad. Police is investigating the source of the origin of the bottles. DeshGujarat