CHENNAI: Three female students residing in a private women’s hostel in Virugambakkam were hospitalised after they ate chutney that was accidentally prepared using a coconut laced with rat poison. Police said the girls were stable.
The Virugambakkam police identified the affected students as Nikitha (20) of Tiruchi, Savitha (21) of Puducherry and Madhumitha (21) of Mayiladuthurai. They were staying along with four other women at the hostel on Vivekananda Street. Nikitha and Madhumitha were undergoing IT training at a centre near Ashok Pillar, while Savitha is a third-year BTech student at an engineering college in Vadapalani.
Police said the residents had been struggling with a rat infestation following which one of their roommates had applied rat poison on a piece of coconut and left it in the kitchen on Friday. Unaware of this, another roommate used it to make a chutney on Saturday. Soon after, Nikitha, Savitha and Madhumitha complained of severe stomach pain and dizziness.
The students were immediately taken to the KK Nagar GH and later referred to the Royapettah GH for further treatment.
Unaware of poison
One of their roommates had applied rat poison on a piece of coconut and left it in the kitchen on Friday. Unaware of this, another roommate used it to make a chutney on Saturday