'Prasad' poisoning: Toll rises to 11, police probe suspected foul play
Bengaluru, Dec 15: Police are probing suspected foul play in the death of 11 people due to food poisoning after consuming 'prasad' at a temple in Chamarajanagar district, a senior official said Saturday.
Two more people died Saturday, pushing up the toll to 11, while 93 others were hospitalised, Chamarajanagar district Superintendent of Police Dharmender Singh Meena told PTI.
Three cooks, who are undergoing treatment in a hospital, are stated to be in a critical condition, he said.
The police are investigating suspected foul play, Meena said, amid reports that a running feud between two factions in Kicchgutti Maramma temple over some issue might have led to the tragedy after the victims consumed the 'prasad' allegedly blended with poisonous substance.
As many as five people have been detained and police are interrogating them to get some leads into the incident, Meena said.
Food samples collected from the temple have been sent to a forensic lab in Mysuru.
"We have not yet received the FSL report. We are expecting it by tomorrow noon. Nevertheless, we have been investigating the tragic incident from all angles," the officer said.
"The substance in the food can only be told after receiving FSL reports," he said.
However, District Health Officer Prasad had suspected that the prasad was poisoned.
On Friday, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced assistance of Rs five lakh to the next to the kin of the deceased.
Kumaraswamy flew to Chamarajanagar by special plane from Belagavi, where he is attending the winter session of the state legislature.
He had directed local authorities to make all arrangements for those who took ill and said the government would bear the medical expenses.
The foundation laying ceremony of Maramma temple was organised Friday morning at the village situated along the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
'Om Shakti' devotees from adjoining villages in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had gathered for the event, where rice "baath" was served as 'prasad' after the rituals.
After consuming the offering, people started to vomit and complained of stomach pain.
Commotion had prevailed as people hurried to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The affected people said there was a smell of kerosene oil in the prasad, but they ignored it.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Akhlaq lynching case: Brinda Karat seeks President's intervention in UP govt's move to drop charges
New Delhi (PTI): Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Saturday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, demanding her intervention in the Uttar Pradesh government's move to withdraw charges against the accused in the 2015 mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq.
In a letter to the President, Karat called it a "politically motivated" step by the government, and also questioned the role of the governor.
"I write to draw your urgent attention to the role of the Uttar Pradesh governor in the matter of the mob lynching case of Md Akhlaq, which occurred in September 2015. The governor has given written permission to the UP government to go ahead in its wholly illegal and unjust attempt to subvert the processes of justice and to withdraw the entire case even though the main witness has already given evidence," Karat said.
She said the government has filed an affidavit in the Greater Noida district court to withdraw the case, with the governor's permission.
"I regret that I am forced to write to you on this matter, but since the governor has been appointed by you and is answerable to you, I felt it in the interests of justice to inform you of the facts and to request your urgent intervention," she said.
On September 28, 2015, a mob gathered outside Akhlaq's house in Uttar Pradesh's Bisahada village after an alleged announcement from a village temple claiming that he had slaughtered a cow. He, along with his son Daanish, was dragged out of their home and assaulted, leading to Akhlaq's death.
"Even today, Danish has not fully recovered and carries the impact of the grievous wounds inflicted on him," Karat said.
The CPI(M) leader said the daughter of the victim gave evidence and named and identified all the accused.
"In other words, evidence against the accused has been presented and recorded in the court. The case is going on, and two other direct witnesses are to give their statements," she said.
"At such a time, the UP government has taken a decision to withdraw the case on utterly indefensible grounds, such as lathis were used, not guns, there was no personal animosity with the victim, continuing the case will lead to communal disharmony and so on," the letter read.
Karat alleged that the case has been delayed by the prosecution -- by not giving notice to the witnesses to appear -- and now the delay has been cited as the grounds to withdraw the case.
"This is motivated not to meet the ends of justice but to subvert the entire judicial process," she said.
Calling it a "politically motivated" step by the Uttar Pradesh government, she questioned, "Should the governor not counsel the government against such a step? Is it not the duty of the governor to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law?"
"If such a case is withdrawn, what will be left of the processes of justice? Will this not then apply to all cases of mob lynching that lathis were used, not guns, that there is no personal animosity, that harmony requires that such cases be withdrawn?" she asked.
Karat expressed hope that the President would intervene and direct the governor to withdraw the permission given.
"The matter is urgent as the government affidavit approved by the governor, which was to be discussed in the court yesterday (December 12) was postponed on the request of the prosecution," she added.
The Uttar Pradesh government has moved to withdraw charges against all those accused in the 2015 mob lynching in Greater Noida's Dadri, a case that had sparked nationwide outrage.
