https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Adopting Orphans, Melting Hearts

As Superintendent of Police of Botad district in Gujarat, Karanraj Vaghela had ensured that all the accused in an alcohol poisoning case were charged with murder so that they stay behind bars. His quick thinking had helped save the lives of several people on the day of the incident, as he swiftly made arrangements to shift them to a better hospital for treatment. The IPS officer, who is now Commandant, Protection of Government Properties, Gandhinagar, has since adopted four children of an alcohol poisoning victim.
Indian Masterminds Stories

With the rise of the illegal liquor trade in the country, there has been a rise in its dangerous consequences as well. Recently, more than 40 people died in Botad, Gujarat, after consuming spurious alcohol, leaving the nation in shock.

The incident, however, also brought to the surface the humane side of our police personnel, as two Gujarat police officers, including former Botad SP Karanraj Vaghela, came forward to adopt four orphaned children who lost their father to the tragedy.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Dr. Vaghela shared details about the tragic incident and also spoke about his decision to adopt the four orphaned children.

THE SPURIOUS LIQUOR TRAGEDY

The first case of alcohol poisoning came to light on the morning of July 25. Gradually, more and more people started showing similar symptoms of poisoning, particularly in Barvala and Ranpur tehsils of Botad district.

“They consumed the poison thinking it is alcohol, which it wasn’t. Some small-time bootleggers in different villages of Botad district made spurious liquor by mixing water with methyl alcohol or Methanol, a highly poisonous industrial solvent, and sold it to villagers for Rs 20 per pouch, which they consumed, and then started falling sick,” Dr. Vaghela said.

Being a doctor himself, the officer understood the hazardous consequences of consuming methyl alcohol. Without wasting any time, he appointed over 50 ambulances across the district and coordinated with the medical helpline numbers. He further ensured that every single person who had consumed that poisonous alcohol was escorted by the police in the ambulance to a big civil hospital in Bhavnagar, owing to a lack of advanced medical facilities in Botad.

“We understood that medical facilities in Botad aren’t advanced enough to treat methanol poisoning. So we shifted all the 100 affected patients to Bhavnagar, where they were treated. We further appealed to people who had complaints of vomiting, blackouts, or dizziness to come forward and get themselves treated. They were trying to run away, but we explained to them that they are victims of poisoning and should receive treatment urgently,” Dr. Vaghela told Indian Masterminds.

ADOPTING FOUR ORPHANS

Unfortunately, even after the police promised proper treatment to the affected men, several of them went into hiding and didn’t come forward for treatment, resulting in the unfortunate death of more than 40 people across the district.

Kanubhai Sekhlia of Devgana village was one of the deceased who didn’t come forward to receive treatment. His wife had left him a few years ago, and since then, he was looking after his four young children alone. The three boys and one girl, all aged between 4-8 years, were left to fend for themselves after their father’s death.

Kanubhai’s elder brother has four kids of his own, and it was difficult for him to take care of his as well as his brother’s kids with the meager salary that he was earning. Looking at the innocent faces of the young kids and the extremely poor conditions that they were surviving in, Dr. Vaghela along with Range IG, IPS officer Ashok Yadav, took the decision of adopting the four kids and raising them.

“We will make sure that the kids get proper education by getting them admitted to the best schools and colleges in the future. We will fully ensure that they graduate and do well in their lives. Although the quality of education here is very poor and young kids usually end up as factory laborers, we will make sure that these kids get the best education so that they can compete for government exams and jobs and make a good life for themselves,” Dr. Vaghela said. 

Apart from this, he is also arranging for builders to get the children’s house renovated, since it is in a dilapidated condition now. He is also planning to open a joint account in the name of all the children, where he will keep depositing money, which can be used to meet the children’s expenses and requirements.

ACTION TAKEN AGAINST THE ACCUSED

Meanwhile, police nabbed all the grassroots level suppliers of methyl alcohol and, also, the people who prepared the poisonous alcohol that took so many lives. Within 10 hours of the first poisoning case, the police had already caught hold of most of the people involved in the tragedy, tracked the chain of events, and confiscated 400 liters of methyl alcohol from them, thus preventing more casualties in the future.

“We took it seriously and registered three FIRs in total under the case of murder against 15 accused, right from the person who took the chemicals from the factory to the person who supplied it in pouches to the victims. The owner of the factory from where the methyl came from is also listed as an accused, while his factory license has been permanently suspended by the concerned department on our request,” the officer told Indian Masterminds.

Dr. Vaghela’s decision to adopt the orphaned children of a victim in the spurious alcohol poisoning case has been appreciated by people from all across the country. By this single act, the doctor turned IPS officer managed to bring the humanitarian and compassionate side of our police force to the fore.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IAS B Ashok
Setback for Kerala Govt: CAT Quashes IAS B Ashok’s Appointment as LSG Reforms Commission Chairman - Details Inside
cybercrime
How a Fake Terror Probe Call Led to a Retired Doctor Being Duped of ₹2.2 Crore by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as IPS, NIA Officers
LCA Tejas
Good News: India Set to Receive First Tejas Mk-1A Fighter Jet from HAL’s Nashik Line by June 2025 - Details Inside
South Eastern Coalfields Limited SECL
SECL Launches Internal Selection Portal to Streamline Employee Promotions - All Details Inside
BPCL_resized
BPCL Announces Senior Management Changes, Venkatraman P. Iyer Made Head of Vigilance
MIDHANI
Dr. S.V.S. Narayana Murty Given Additional Charge as Director (Finance) at MIDHANI - Know More About Him
IAS Officer President murmu
President Addresses IAS Officers from State Services Attending LBSNAA’s 127th Induction Programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan
NLC-INDIA-resized-neyvili
NLC India Renewables and RVUNL Form Joint Venture for Green Energy Projects - Check All Details
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IAS B Ashok
Setback for Kerala Govt: CAT Quashes IAS B Ashok’s Appointment as LSG Reforms Commission Chairman - Details Inside
cybercrime
How a Fake Terror Probe Call Led to a Retired Doctor Being Duped of ₹2.2 Crore by Cyber Fraudsters Posing as IPS, NIA Officers
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT