Bhubaneswar: Amid allegations that two youths died after consuming spurious liquor in Bhubaneswar, a senior official from the Odisha Excise Department has refuted the claims, stating that both individuals succumbed to pre-existing health conditions.

Excise SP Debasish Patel said the investigation revealed the deceased had underlying health issues. “Laboratory tests of the liquor samples collected from the outlet confirmed the alcohol was not spurious,” he informed.

According to the medical reports, Santosh Naik was suffering from jaundice, while Biswa Behera had both thyroid cancer and jaundice.

The incident dates back to June 4, when a feast was organised by one Basudeb Das in the Laxmisagar area of Bhubaneswar. Santosh Naik and Biswa Behera attended the event and consumed liquor purchased from a local shop. Soon after the feast, five people—including Santosh and Biswa—fell ill, raising suspicions of adulterated alcohol. Both Santosh and Biswa later died while undergoing treatment.

Following public outrage and protests outside the liquor shop, the Excise Department sealed the outlet and collected samples for testing, which later ruled out adulteration.