In Kheda, police launched an investigation after the death of five men, aged between 25 and 30, on November 28 and 29 raised suspicion.The probe revealed they fell severely ill after consuming ‘Meghasav’ syrup sold for Rs 130 per bottle at a grocery shop in Bilodara village.
Kheda superintendent of police Rajesh Gadhiya said that grocery shop owner Kishore Sodha’s father Sankal had also consumed the syrup and methyl alcohol was found in his blood sample. “His health deteriorated and he has been put on dialysis in the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital,” said Gadhiya. Along with Sodha, police also detained one Yogesh Sindhi, who had unsuccessfully sought a licence to set up an ayurvedic syrup manufacturing unit, and two others.
In another related development, the Devbhumi Dwarka police raided a factory in Silvassa, the headquarters of D&NH, and unearthed a well-oiled racket of manufacturing and smuggling ayurvedic syrup mixed with isopropyl alcohol into Gujarat. The mastermind has turned out to be Sunil Kakkad of Ahmedabad, who was earlier booked by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a Rs 700 crore financial scandal. On bail since 2021, Kakkad had set up a network of distributors and dealers to sell the bottles across the state.
Alcohol content of up to 86% found in syrups seized earlier
On Thursday, the Kutch police also carried out raids at several shops and seized 2,032 ayurvedic syrup bottles worth Rs 2.4 lakh over suspicion that they contained high quantities of alcohol.
Over the last few months, the Rajkot and Devbhumi Dwarka police have busted similar factories in Changodar near Ahmedabad and Punjab too.
Analysis of the contents in Changodar seizure re vealed that the syrups had alcohol content between 14% to 86% as against the 12% permissible limit in ayurvedic concoctions. In fact, the Food and Drug Control Authority (FDCA) had warned about the rampant sale of these syrups at unauthorized places and written to the director of prohibition requesting detailed checking.
Health minister Rushikesh Patel said that culprits who put the lives of people at risk by mixing hazardous chemicals in ayurvedic syrup will not be spared.
