Temple priest booked in Ahmedabad after three deaths due to ‘bhang poisoning’

The FIR stated that “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 complainant police sub-inspector has said in the FIR that “it seems this bhang may have caused three deaths.”

The primary investigation has blamed excessive use of datura or devil’s trumpets in the bhang mixture for the poisoning.

After the complaints of poisoning, the district administration has opened a makeshift hospital at a local school with the help of ASHA workers, teachers and doctors at nearby health centres. The victims were also admitted to a private trust-run hospital, Kundal community health centre and other hospitals like Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Among the victims was 10-year-old Mukesh who died Tuesday at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Mukesh’s mother Jamna, who wailed uncontrollably before his garlanded portrait, blamed doctors and paramedics at the hospital for “ignoring” her pleas to save her son. He was the only child from her second marriage.

The family of Vipul Thakor, a 17-year-old labourer who died at Kadi after consuming the bhang was most distraught. From this family, 10 members were affected. Thakor’s younger brother Mahendra and father Vajaji, a mason, were still under treatment at Bhagyoday General Hospital. “Mahendra’s kidneys had stopped working and he could not urinate when brought here. Now, he is stable,” said Dr Alpesh Prajapati, medical director of the hospital.

Having lost one son, besides his brother Vanraj and other members of his family under treatment, Vajaji has little time to mourn but has to look after the sick son, his brother and sister in law. Recalling the frenzy of Mahashivratri, Vanraj said: “People came in droves to have ‘darshan’ at the temple and they were offered bhang in small cups. I have no idea from where the bhang was procured. More than 2,000 people drank the prasad on that day and 400 of them later complained of severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting.”

“The concoction probably contained datura (considered unsafe for consumption) among other ingredients,” he said.

The third victim was Natuji Thakor (14) who died during the treatment. Local authorities said the situation was tense given the number of people suffering from the poisoning. At the community health centre at Kundal, chief district health officer Dr T K Soni said: “There are 42 indoor patients and all are stable”.

He said 11 doctors, six from outside, have been called in to attend to the patients. The doctors included physicians and paediatrics. “The samples have been sent to forensic science laboratory through the local police”, he said adding, “the report will take some time”.

Health Commissioner J P Gupta said, “It is a case of food poisoning and the government usually does not pay compensation to the families of the deceased in such cases. But yes, people being treated at government hospitals will not be charged.” Dr M M Prabhakar, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad said nine people were brought to the hospital. “Of them one boy has died and one was in the ICU.”

According to Bhagyoday General Hospital, 95 people brought for treatment in the 100-bed hospital. One patient, Siddharth Patel, had to be put on ventilator temporarily but now he is recovering, the hospital said. On the death of Inspector Patel, DSP Rajesh Gadhiya said: “We can’t say what caused the death as of now. In his late 40s, Patel was diabetic as well. I went to see him in the hospital and he was doing fine. But at around 4 am, we learnt that he passed away.”

A native of Valsad, Patel lived alone at Kadi as his wife works as a teacher in Silvassa and his son is an MBBS doctor. Police said that since Patel was living alone, there is no witness to confirm whether he consumed the bhang.
Meanwhile, Mehsana Collector Lochan Sehra said that the situation was serious but under control. He said that about 2,500 people had consumed Bhang.