Justice Served: Key Accused Sentenced in 2021 Hooch Tragedy

A local court sentenced Pramod Gupta to 10 years in prison for his role in the 2021 hooch tragedy in Aligarh, where toxic methanol-laced liquor led to over 100 deaths. The tragedy, amidst COVID-19, affected mainly the marginalized. Legal actions and community reactions followed this verdict.

A local court handed down a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence on Tuesday to Pramod Gupta, a key figure in the 2021 hooch tragedy that claimed more than 100 lives in Aligarh district.

The Additional District Judge Amit Kumar Tiwari convicted Gupta on multiple charges, including the sale of noxious substances and use of forged documents, for supplying methanol that resulted in 106 deaths during May and June 2021. The tragedy unfolded as the region was already struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic, hitting the poor and marginalized the hardest, according to local sources.

Government counsel Kuldeep Kumar Tomar revealed that 31 FIRs were filed in the district related to these deaths, and two other judgments had been passed in 2024. The verdict has been met with approval in affected communities, such as Cherat village, where at least 10 villagers died from consuming the lethal liquor. The incident triggered a crackdown on illegal liquor networks and sparked outrage among political and social activists, who claim the actual death toll surpassed official figures.