188 Pune Villages Flagged for Illicit Liquor Production in Post-Hooch Crackdown
Pune, 11th June 2026: In the wake of the recent hooch tragedies in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad that claimed 22 lives, the State Excise Department has identified 188 villages in Pune district where illicit country liquor is allegedly manufactured and has issued notices to the respective gram panchayats, seeking their cooperation in curbing the illegal trade.
The notices direct village authorities to share information about illicit distillation units operating in their jurisdictions and identify habitual offenders involved in the manufacture and supply of country liquor.
Atul Kanade, Superintendent of the State Excise Department’s Pune office, said a list of villages located on the outskirts of Pune city and across the district had been prepared based on intelligence inputs regarding illegal liquor production. “These villages are known to have illicit distillation units, and liquor produced there is often supplied to urban areas. Gram panchayats have been asked not to allow such activities and to report offenders to the excise department and the police,” he said.
According to officials, illicit liquor is often brewed in secluded areas, including government land and dense vegetation near villages where public movement is minimal. Villages such as Soratapwadi, Kunjirwadi, Nandur, Rajewadi, Bhosalewadi and Aapti in Shirur taluka are among those that have received notices.
Local representatives, however, say enforcement remains a challenge. A gram panchayat member from a village along the Pune-Solapur highway alleged that residents who report illegal liquor operations are often threatened by bootleggers. “Many of those involved in the trade enjoy the backing of influential persons, making villagers and elected representatives hesitant to come forward with complaints,” the member said.
The crackdown follows the recent hooch tragedy in Hadapsar and Pimpri Chinchwad’s Phugewadi area, where 22 people died after consuming spurious liquor. Three persons from Phugewadi who had been admitted to YCM Hospital for treatment have since recovered and been discharged, officials said.
