Accused used denatured spirit, claim officials

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 2

An “unofficial chemical examination” of the seized material in villages of Majha by the Excise Department has reportedly found that the base material used to make this spurious liquor was denatured spirit.

Denatured spirit is used in paint and polish industry, and of late, for manufacturing sanitisers. Its sale is regulated and it can be transferred only after obtaining a permit. Excise officials told The Tribune that their investigation has so far revealed that the denatured spirit seized in Dera Bassi had changed hands multiple times to hide the source of this spirit.

“This spirit, we had learnt, was to be supplied illegally to some industrial consumers and was being moved without permits. There is no direct link between this case and the Majha booze tragedy, it just proves that denatured spirit is being moved without requisite permit and could have been supplied to bootleggers too to make illicit liquor,” a senior official said, adding that the case has now been handed over to the police for thorough investigation.

Excise officials believe that some additives were mixed with the denatured spirit as its direct consumption can be fatal. “This can be ascertained from the postmortem of the victims. Also, our lab test reports suggest that the potency of ethanol in the denatured spirit recovered in the tragedy-hit villages was between 140-160 degrees. The maximum potency of ethanol allowed in liquor is 75 degrees. Liquor with this potency is also consumed after diluting it with water,” a top official in the Excise Department said.