HYDERABAD: Sandeep Joshi, a 39-yearold diabetic, choked to death after swallowing about eight laddus in a speed eating contest organised by an FM radio channel at a Ganesh pandal in New Nallakunta here on Tuesday.
In his excitement to outrace the other contenders and bag the gold coin, the prize for the winner, Sandeep ignored his health condition, police said. Sandeep collapsed half-way through the competition. Locals rushed him to a nearby dispensary where doctors advised them to shift him to another hospital.
Accordingly, he was taken to the Andhra Mahila Sabha Hospital where he was declared brought dead, Nallakunta police inspector P Murali Krishna said.
Joshi was a resident of Janapriya Apartments, Lalapet and had come on a visit to his sister, Lalitha’s house at New Nallakunta. Joshi was a catering worker and is survived by his wife Sumitra and three children, Sneha, Kedari and Sahana.
Radio City 91.1 FM, organiser of the ill-fated event, has, in fact, been conducting a week-long Laddu eating contest at select Ganesh pandals in the city from 6 p.m to 7 p.m. every day from August 24. Unconfirmed reports said the FM does not check if the participants have health problems.
Radio City RJs Vamsee, Priyanka and Madhuri conducted the competition this evening at the pandal set up by the Bose Youth Association at Veeranjaneya Temple in Bayamma Galli, New Nallakunta.
Murali Krishna said a case under Section 174 (unnatural death) was registered. ‘‘Based on further investigation and the post-mortem report, we will check if the organisers were negligent,’’ he said.
