CHENNAI: A Class VIII boy died here immediately after he allegedly consumed bhang, a marijuana-based drug, on Monday. R Amreeth, aged 14 and a student of Thiru Vi Ka Higher Secondary School at Shenoy nagar, bunked school on Monday and was consuming the drug along with a few friends in the locality.
“He was active that morning. But soon after he returned home, he looked very dull. He said he was feeling giddy. Initially, I ignored. Then he was severely ill and I took him to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital,” Chitra, the boy’s mother told Express, as she was waiting in front of the mortuary on Tuesday to receive the body.
Chitra says she then rushed to meet her son’s friends with whom he usually hangs out.
“One of his friends casually told me to give him hot water since he consumed bhang,” said Chitra, who was in tears as she attempted to say her son had died just a day before his birthday. Doctors at the hospital declared the boy dead around 11 pm on Monday.
Chitra was working as a domestic help and her husband Rajkumar was an auto driver. The family was residing at Rani Anna Nagar, Kilpauk Garden.
“There is a regular group in the area that sits among the bushes on a school campus and does drugs. Amreeth was one among them,” said V Bhavaneeswari, a neighbour.
However, the hospital report to the police said the boy died due to poisoning caused by suspected snake bite.
“The report from the hospital said the death was due to suspected snake bite. Based on a complaint from the boy’s father, we have registered a case of unnatural death,” said an official at TP Chatram police station.
When contacted, Assistant Commissioner (Kilpauk) Hari Kumar said he was not aware of the incident.