Two persons have died and several others were hospitalised after allegedly consuming sweets found abandoned outside a government office in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, triggering fresh concerns over food safety months after a poisoning tragedy involving children in the region.
Unclaimed sweets outside PHED office
According to police, the incident began last week when an on-duty security guard at the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) office noticed an unattended bag containing vegetables and sweets lying outside the premises. The guard, identified as Dasaru Yaduvanshi (50), later consumed some of the sweets.
Within hours, Yaduvanshi developed severe vomiting and diarrhoea and was rushed to hospital. His condition deteriorated, and he died during treatment on January 11, two days after consuming the sweets.
Second family falls ill, elderly man dies
A day after Yaduvanshi consumed the sweets, members of a nearby tea stall owner’s family also ate them. Soon after, 72-year-old Sunder Lal Kathuria, his wife, two daughters, daughter-in-law and granddaughter began experiencing violent vomiting, diarrhoea and extreme weakness.
All seven were admitted to hospital. While some family members recovered and others remain under treatment, Kathuria succumbed to his illness on January 11.
Investigation underway
Police said multiple angles are being examined, including the contents of the sweets and how they were left outside the office. Officials from Junnardeo Police Station said post-mortem reports have so far been inconclusive.
“The viscera has been preserved and sent to the forensic science laboratory. Samples of the sweets have also been sent to the food testing lab to determine whether they were contaminated or deliberately poisoned,” said station in-charge Rakesh Singh Baghel.
Fresh safety concerns
The incident has raised alarm in the district, which earlier witnessed the deaths of 24 children after consuming contaminated cough syrup, intensifying public anxiety over regulatory oversight and public health safety.