Journalism of Courage
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Mahesh Zagade has issued a blanket ban on the sale of varai (samo rice) and has asked people not to eat it for a few days,till the report of the samples arrives. After consuming varai,126 people were taken ill on Wednesday night. Zagade directed the Pune Municipal Corporation health authorities to take cognizance of the matter and appeal to people to refrain from consuming varai.
Meanwhile,the Pune rural police arrested two traders and Pune police booked five traders. Civic health chief Dr R R Pardeshi said 204 people from various areas in Kothrud were affected due to consumption of varai during the Navratri fast. They had complained of vomiting,giddiness and weakness and were hospitalised. On Friday,199 people were discharged while five were admitted,Pardeshi said.
Kothrud police,under whose jurisdiction almost all the cases of food poisoning were detected,have registered a case against owners of five grocery shops. The five owners have been booked under Section 336 of the IPC for endangering life or personal safety of others. Sub-inspector N H Jadhav,investigating officer for the case,said,No one has been arrested. The samples have been sent to forensic sciences lab for chemical analysis. If the shops are found at fault we will arrest the proprietors.
Also,two traders – Sudharam Asandas Tanna (58) and Rahul Rajendra Bhandari (32) both of Urali Kanchan,were arrested by Pune rural police. Police produced them before the magistrate court in Pune on Friday. The court remanded the suspects in police custody till October 3.
