Gujarat: Priest of Shiva temple arrested for three deaths caused by ‘poisonous bhang’

According to the FIR “Goswami without any permission kept bhang in his possession and on Shivratri mixed the bhang with different types of masala and offered it to the devotees.”

Shivratri, Shivratri bhang,excessive dose, dhatura,food poisoning, three locals dead, 350 ill, Budasan village, Gujarat’s Mehsana district, Kadi town police station, Gandhinagar

Blanklooks in eyes of Jamnaben Marwadi tell it all about how she struggled unsuccessfully to save her son Mukesh. (Source: Express photo Javed Raja

The Mehsana police, in north Gujarat, on Friday arrested a priest who is alleged to have prepared and distributed “poisonous bhang” Monday on the occasion of bhag which caused deaths of three persons while over 350 people were taken ill. Six persons are said to be in ICU.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya said that Amratbharthi Maganbharthi Goswami, priest of Neelkanth Mahadev temple at Budasan village was arrested in the case against whom the FIR was lodged on Thursday. Goswami has been booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder among other charges.

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In Budasan the bhang, a preparation of cannabis, was distributed among the devotees at the local temple. It is suspected that this bhang also caused the death of police inspector RR Patel of Kadi town police station, which has jurisdiction over Budasan.

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According to the FIR “Goswami without any permission kept bhang in his possession and on Shivratri mixed the bhang with different types of masala and offered it to the devotees.” The FIR mentioned only three deaths, and remained silent on the death of Patel.

The police are awaiting for the forensic report but prima facie they said that the three deaths could have been caused due to bhang. The primary investigation has blamed excessive use of datura or devil’s trumpets in the bhang mixture for the poisoning.

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