Amritsar/Patiala, May 14 -- The arrest of 10 individuals, including kingpin identified as Sahib Singh, in connection with the death of 21 people who consumed spurious alcohol in Majitha has revealed the modus operandi of the accused, who used to source methanol in bulk from various places, including Ludhiana and Delhi, via online platforms, a top police officer said on Tuesday.

Police officials informed that methyl alcohol or methanol, popularly known as wood spirit, is used in making spurious liquor instead of extra neutral alcohol (ENA). Methanol is a light, colourless organic chemical compound which is poisonous when ingested and is illegally added to alcoholic beverages as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, which is the normal consuma...