Four die in UP's Mainpuri after consuming ‘poisonous tea’

Prima facie it appeared that the child who prepared the tea had mistakenly added a pesticide, which looked like tea leaves, to the water. It turned the brew into poison, said Mainpuri SP Kamlesh Dixit.

Four people, including two children, died in a Mainpuri village after consuming tea prepared at home by a six-year-old child on Thursday morning. It is feared that the child added pesticide (which looked like tea leaves) kept in the kitchen to boiling water by mistake.

Five people fell ill after consuming the tea, out of which four died (Pic for representation)

“Five people fell ill after consuming the tea, out of which four died. The exact reason is being investigated but prima facie it appears that the child had mistakenly added a pesticide, which looked like tea leaves, to the water. It turned the brew into poison,” said Kamlesh Dixit, superintendent of police (SP) Mainpuri, on phone on Thursday afternoon.

“Preliminary investigation has revealed that the mother was milking the cow when the child went to make tea on arrival of his maternal grandfather on Thursday morning,” said Dixit. He said the child’s father was undergoing treatment in Safai Medical College and Hospital in Etawah.

The tragic incident took place in the house of Shiv Nandan who lived with his wife, two children and father in Nagla Kanhai village in Mainpuri. His father-in-law Ravindra Singh (55) visited the house and Shivang (6) offered to prepare tea for his maternal grandfather.

Everyone, including Ravindra Singh (55), Shiv Nandan (35), Shivang (6) and Divang (5) had tea on Thursday morning. A neighbour Sobran Singh too reached the house and had tea. All five became uncomfortable soon afterwards and as their health deteriorated, they were rushed to the district hospital in Mainpuri where Ravindra Singh, Shivang and Divang died.

Sobran Singh and Shiv Nandan Singh were shifted to Safai Medical College where Sobran Singh died during treatment, taking death toll to four. Shiv Nandan was critical when reports last came.

“Police have begun investigation and samples of the material, said to be pesticide, are being sent for chemical examination,” said SP Mainpuri.