Police asks court to add more charges in Malvani liquor case

Mumbai police crime branch moved an application on Friday to invoke murder as well as attempt to murder charges, in the Malvani hooch tragedy, in which around 104 people lost their lives, a police official said here today. DCP (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said that the application has been moved before the 37th Metropolitan Magistrate seeking permission to add sections 302 (murder) and section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police official said that there are two reasons to apply these stringent sections. Firstly, the police found evidence that the accused had prior knowledge about selling poison. Secondly, the police wishes to send a strong message to those indulging in such trade, the police official said.

The police has taken legal opinion in this regard from the state law and judiciary department, the police official said. Police crime branch sleuths had taken over the case and arrested nine people, including two women, besides a Vapi-based chemical trader called Kishore Patel in connection with the case.

Initially, the police had applied Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), Section 114 (abetment) and Section 201 (destruction of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code, in the case.