At least 14 persons have died after drinking allegedly spurious liquor in Punjab’s Amritsar, PTI reported on Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday night. The deaths were confirmed by Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney. Six others were also taken to the hospital.

The deaths took place in five villages in Majitha: Bhangali, Patalpuri, Marari Kalan, Therewal and Talwandi Ghuman.

Seven persons have been arrested in the matter, said Deputy Inspector General of Police (Border Range) Satinder Singh.

The main accused person in the matter was Prabhjeet Singh, ANI quoted Senior Superintendent of Police Amritsar (Rural) Maninder Singh as saying.

The senior superintendent of police added that Prabhjit Singh received supplies of 50 litres of methanol that he diluted and sold to the public in two-litre packets. “We are tracing and seizing each and every packet,” PTI quoted Maninder Singh as saying.

A case was registered under a section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, ANI reported. The accused persons were also booked under a section of the Punjab Excise Act pertaining to unlawful trade, transport, manufacture and possession.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that those responsible for the deaths would not be spared.

In a post on X, the Aam Aadmi Party leader said: “These are not deaths, these are murders. These culprits who create mourning atmosphere in people’s homes with poisonous liquor will be punished strictly according to the law.”