BHOPAL: Unclaimed pedas (sweets) whose consumption allegedly led to three deaths in four days in the Junnardeo area of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district contained abnormally high levels of arsenic, raising police suspicion of “targeted poisoning”.
The deaths include a Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) chowkidar, an elderly man and his married granddaughter.
Analysis of samples of the cashew nut-laced pedas at the food department’s laboratory in Indore revealed the presence of abnormally high quantities of arsenic, which is highly toxic.
“Based on the report from the Indore lab, the police in Chhindwara suspect that the arsenic was mixed in the sweets for the suspected targeted poisoning. But it’s still not clear whether the PHED chowkidar Dasaru Yaduvanshi (50), or 72-year-old Sunder Lal Kathuria and his young granddaughter Khushboo were the actual targets,” local police station in-charge Rakesh Baghel told TNIE on Tuesday.
However, sources associated with the ongoing investigation said the needle of suspicion is slowly pointing towards the possibility of someone close to the Kathuria family, which runs a tea stall near the PHED office, being behind the alleged “targeted poisoning”.
Sources added that relations between Khushboo’s mother, Santoshi, and her siblings have been strained over the past few months, particularly regarding Khushboo’s marriage, from which the young woman has a daughter.
Khushboo had left her husband’s home three months ago and was living with her parents in Junnardeo. Sources said her husband is a close relative.
While Khushboo died at AIIMS Nagpur during treatment on the morning of January 14, her mother Santoshi was also critically ill and remained hospitalised for several days in Chhindwara.
“Samples of the unclaimed pedas were sent to the Indore lab, which has sent its report. Now a report from a Jabalpur lab is awaited. The viscera of the deceased as well as peda (sweet) samples were sent to Jabalpur also, for further confirming whether the deaths happened due to poisoning or not,” a police officer said.
An unclaimed bag was left outside the PHED office in Junnardeo on January 9. When opened by Chowkidar Dasaru Yaduvanshi, it contained raw vegetables and a sweet box of pedas decorated with cashew nuts.
The PHED office chowkidar, who was the first to eat the sweets, was also the first to die after developing vomiting, loose motions and a rapid decline in blood pressure. He died on January 11.
This was followed by the death of Sunder Lal Kathuria (72) on January 13 and Kathuria’s granddaughter Khushboo on the morning of January 14.