Last month, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) barred the sale of certain liquor brands.
In the banned list were Old Monk, Bagpiper, Royal Challenge Whisky and Blue Whisky.
The reason for the ban was the use of artificial flavours and misleading claims like '7 years old blended,' as per reports.
In effect, drinks like Old Monk weren't rum, but just rum-flavoured alcoholic drinks.
Maharashtra has banned Old Monk, and Madhya Pradesh has also restricted its variants because of misleading claims.
The 'rum-flavoured drink' isn't physically toxic. The risks of drinking it are similar to those of any Indian-made foreign liquor.
Original rum is made from sugarcane juice. However, in India, many whiskies and rums are made from neutral spirits (ethanol) derived from molasses or grains.