Key Update 

A suspected case of food poisoning in Bhayandar, Maharashtra, killed a three-year-old girl on Sunday night and left five of her family members critical. Shivshankar Ramjilal Koiri, 38, rushed to his brother-in-law Ramesh Kanaiyalal Morya’s home in Bajrang Nagar after his wife alerted him that Ramesh had stopped answering calls. Koiri broke open the locked door and found Ramesh, his wife Nilam (28), their daughters Chahat (8), Anamika (6), Dipali (3), and Ramesh’s brother Rajkumar alias Bablu (40) lying unconscious and frothing at the mouth.

Koiri and neighbours carried the family to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Tembha) Hospital. Doctors declared Dipali, fondly called Nakku, dead on arrival. They admitted the other five in critical condition and later shifted two of the daughters to JJ Hospital for specialised treatment.

Police Link Illness to Meal

Senior inspector Jitendra Kamble said Ramesh had purchased chicken earlier that day. The family cooked it with boiled eggs, rice, and vada pav, and soon after the meal, they suffered vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Doctors, however, found Dipali’s stomach empty during a preliminary autopsy. Forensic officials collected food samples and viscera for detailed testing.

Probe Widens, Foul Play Suspected

Deputy commissioner of police Rahul Chauhan confirmed that police registered an accidental death report (ADR) and launched a probe. Officers collected food samples, called in a forensic team, and requested that the gas company investigate for potential leakage. Ramesh, who regained consciousness on Monday, told police he had consumed hooch. “I came home drunk around 8 pm, asked my wife to wake me up for dinner, and woke up in the hospital,” he said. Investigators are now checking the backgrounds of Ramesh and Nilam to determine if someone deliberately poisoned the food.

Source: The Hindustan Times