2021 UP hooch tragedy: Bootlegger held guilty for death of 106; sentencing on Jan 20

AGRA: A court in Aligarh on Saturday convicted a liquor smuggler in connection with the 2021 hooch tragedy that killed 106 people across multiple villages in Uttar Pradesh. The court found him guilty of supplying methanol-laced alcohol that led to the deaths.Additional district govt counsel Ravikant Sharma said, “Pramod Gupta was identified as the main supplier in a network that operated across Lodha, Karsua and the Jawan areas of Aligarh. Additional district judge 14, Amit Kumar Tiwari, held Gupta guilty of selling adulterated liquor, which contained methanol — an industrial chemical that can cause blindness or death when consumed.” “The court has found Gupta guilty of his role in supplying toxic liquor. He did not appear in court for the verdict and a non-bailable warrant was issued against him and the sentencing date was announced in his absence. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Jan 20,” he added.The deaths began in late May 2021. “Two of the 33 cases resulted in convictions in 2024, two others ended in acquittals in 2025. This is the fifth case where sentencing is now due,” Sharma added.