Cops exhume body to probe 8 suspected liquor deaths

Raipur: Police on Saturday exhumed the body of a 42-year-old man in Kharve village to determine the cause of death, after residents alleged that 8 people died over 4 months after consuming suspected spurious liquor.A team of police personnel, revenue officials and Forensic Science Laboratory experts, along with a forensic scientist from Sarangarh, exhumed the remains of Mahetru Sahu at Kasdol police station area. Sahu died on May 14, 2026, and was buried as per local customs, SDOP Koushal Kishore Washnik said.The remains have been sent to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Memorial Hospital, Raipur, for post-mortem. The medico-legal department will also conduct toxicology tests to check for poisonous substances.Residents approached Kasdol police with a complaint in recent days, citing 8 deaths since February 2026. In the complaint, villagers named Ramsai Jaiswal, 50, a grocery shop owner from the village, alleging that he served liquor laced with poison. Police said Jaiswal has denied the allegations during questioning.The 8 deceased have been identified as Badri Patel, Butalu Sahu, Chhatturam Sahu, Budlu Jaiswal, Vinod Sahu, Gajanan Manjhi, Chaitu Sahu and Mahetru Sahu.

Police said all of them were addicted to liquor and had direct or indirect links with Jaiswal.“Seven of the 8 deceased were buried, as per Kabir Panthi customs. We exhumed the most recent body for scientific evaluation. Bones and some flesh were still intact and have been sent for tests,” Washnik said.He added that 2 of the deceased were around 42 years old, while the other 6 were aged 55 and above.Police said further legal action will depend on the post-mortem and toxicology reports. A large number of villagers gathered to witness the exhumation. The final findings from Mekahara hospital will ascertain whether the deaths were due to natural causes or alleged foul play.