Sagar SP Anurag Sujania Quits Following Transfer Over Liquor Deaths

Anurag Sujania, the IPS officer serving as Superintendent of Police in Sagar, submitted his resignation just days after being transferred from the post. Sujania and Sagar District Collector Pratibha Pal had been removed on Oct 27, more than a month after a hooch tragedy killed over 25 people in the district. The reshuffle came while the state dealt with another alleged hooch incident in Dewas, where the collector and SP were also transferred. Sources said Sujania was upset by the move, believing the police had already made swift arrests in the Sagar case and that the transfer was unfair. He was in Sagar until Nov 1 and reached Bhopal on Nov 2, possibly meeting senior officials before resigning. The state government faces pressure after a police inspector was killed in Dewas while stopping an illicit liquor truck and after reports of 13 deaths in that district in October. Sujania, a 2014‑batch IPS officer and native of Rajasthan, has previously served as SP in Morena and Mandsaur and oversaw a 2021 hooch tragedy in Morena that claimed 24 lives. A senior police officer in Sagar requested anonymity while confirming the resignation. A high‑level meeting on the resignation is expected, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav likely to attend.

Context

The episode highlights how state governments often reshuffle senior officials after public outcry over illicit liquor deaths, aiming to show decisive action even as investigations continue.