Karnataka Excise Dept seizes Rs 25 cr worth beer after lab tests show it unfit for human consumption
Mysuru (K'taka) (PTI): The State Excise Department has seized two leading brands of beer worth Rs 25 crore after a chemical test report found it "unfit for human consumption", a senior official said on Wednesday.
Apart from registering a case, the Department has initiated steps to destroy the stock, Deputy Commissioner of Excise, Mysuru Rural, A Ravishankar told reporters here.
According to him, the Excise Superintendent of Nanjangud lodged a complaint with his office on July 28 stating that Kingfisher Strong Beer and Kingfisher Ultra Lager Beer with batch number 7C and 7E, which were manufactured at the Nanjangud unit of United Breweries Limited on July 17, 2023, have sediments and, hence, they have been sent for chemical examination.
The Excise Superintendent requested that till the time the lab test report comes, the stock should be seized, the officer said.
Ravishankar said he wrote to the Deputy Commissioners of the districts and Excise Deputy Commissioners to hold back the stock with the two batch numbers. In the meantime, the samples were also sent to a lab for chemical examination.
"We received a report from the chemical examiner on August 2 saying that both the brands (with batch No. 7C and 7E) were unfit for human consumption. Following the report, we wrote to the DCs and Excise DCs to take further steps, which means those stocks should be destroyed," the Excise Deputy Commissioner said.
Sources in the department said the beer was worth Rs 25 crore.
Meanwhile, United Breweries Limited has stated that it is an isolated incident in a single batch of Kingfisher Ultra only and not Kishfisher Strong. The company is working closely with authorities to clarify the situation, it said.
"UBL identified a slight haze in a small portion of Kingfisher Ultra beer bottles produced on July 15th at our Nanjangud brewery in Mysuru. We promptly notified authorities and are actively cooperating with their investigation. This is an isolated incident in a single batch of Kingfisher Ultra only and not Kingfisher Strong.
"We have conducted an external independent lab (NABL accredited) analysis of the impacted Kingfisher Ultra batch which confirmed that the test parameters are within regulatory guidelines and therefore, poses no health risks. We are working closely with authorities to clarify the situation. Our priority continues to be quality and safety for our partners and consumers," said a United Breweries Ltd spokesperson.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC wants to know if FIRs filed over suicides of IIT student, NEET aspirant
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know if FIRs were registered after suicides of a IIT Kharagpur student and a NEET aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan, came to light.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan directed its registry to call for a report from both places at the earliest.
The top court noted a 22-year-old student studying in IIT, Kharagpur, was found hanging in his hostel room on May 4, 2025.
"The deceased was a three-year civil engineering student. His body was found hanging in his room in the Madan Mohan Malaviya Hall. The student was identified as Mohammad Asif Qamar from Bihar’s Sheohar District," the bench noted.
The top court went on, "The press reporting indicates that just moments before his death, he was on a video call with his friend in Delhi. This is one of those unfortunate suicides by a student for which we have constituted the task-force to work on the various issues relating to students suicide."
The top court previously ordered the formation of a national task force, headed by former top court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat, to address the mental health concerns of students to prevent suicides in higher educational institutions.
The apex court said it was taking cognisance of the matter with a view to ascertain whether the management or administration of IIT, Kharagpur lodged an FIR with the local police station in accordance with its earlier directions.
It also took into account another case of suicide by a NEET aspirant who hanged herself at her room in Parshavanath area in the city ahead of the National Medical Entrants Examination scheduled on May 11.
"It is reported that the girl was under 18 years of age and hailed from Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh. She had been living with her parents in Kota (Rajasthan) and for the past several years, she was preparing for NEET-UG at a coaching institute," the court added.
The bench observed it was reportedly the fourteenth case of suicide by a coaching student in Kota, Rajasthan in 2025.
"Since January, 2025, a total of 17 cases of suicides by coaching students were reported in Kota last year. We would like to know whether an FIR has been registered in connection with this suicide also or not," the bench said.
The matter then was posted on May 13.
Outlining a disturbing pattern of student suicides in educational institutions, the apex court on March 24 directed Delhi Police to register an FIR and probe the suicidal deaths of two IIT-Delhi students from the SC/ST community.
Saying it was "high time" that it took cognisance of the "serious issue", the court ordered formulation of comprehensive and effective guidelines to address and mitigate the underlying causes contributing to such distress among students.
The bench directed the Centre to deposit Rs 20 lakh with the registry within two weeks as an outlay for the initial operations of the NTF.
Noting a "disturbing pattern" of student suicides were being reported from various educational institutes, the apex court said these tragedies underscored the urgent need for a more robust, comprehensive and responsive mechanism to address various factors which compel students to resort to taking their own lives.
