Bad dal-rice leads nine from lock-up to hospital

After eating lunch at around 4pm, three of the nine accused began experiencing discomfort in their stomach and started vomiting. A few minutes later, the rest of them started experiencing the same

Mumbai: Nine people, locked up in Nalasopara police station on charges of murder and cheating cases related to cyber frauds, have been admitted to a hospital after they suffered food poisoning on Tuesday evening. They are said to be in stable condition.

HT Image

On Tuesday afternoon, the Nalasopara police had, like every day, ordered lunch for the accused from a nearby canteen. According to Vilas Supe, senior police inspector of Nalasopara police station, the lunch consisted of dal, rice and pickle. “A local canteen has been given the contract of providing food to the accused lodged in the police lock up. The accused were served the dal rice plate at 3pm,” said Supe.

After eating lunch at around 4pm, three of the nine accused began experiencing discomfort in their stomach and started vomiting. A few minutes later, the rest of them started experiencing the same.

“As soon as the men fell ill, we rushed them to a civic hospital in Nalasopara where they were diagnosed with food poisoning,” said Supe adding that on Thursday the men were reported to be stable.

“We are conducting an enquiry to find out whether the canteen food was contaminated. We have collected samples of the food, the accused ate, and are sending it for testing,” the police officer added. The medical officer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said that the admitted patients have food poisoning, and all the patients are stable. They have been kept under observation.

Supe said the nine men, who had been arrested on charges of murder and committing cyber frauds, were lodged in the Nalasopara lock up before they were to be shifted to Thane Jail. Out of the nine men, five were arrested by Nalasopara police and four others by the Pelhar police in cheating cases related to cyber frauds, he added.