New Delhi: A 58-year-old MCD employee, who
was among around 250 people admitted in various city hospitals
after consuming articles made of contaminated buck wheat died
here on Wednesday even as police arrested 11 shopkeepers for
allegedly selling the stuff.
A total of 14 cases were registered in east and
north-east districts in connection with the incident which was
reported yesterday from M S Park, Welcome, Nand Nagri, Jyoti
Nagar (North-East Delhi), Krishna Nagar, Farsh Bazar,
Shakarpur, Madhu Vihar, Mandawli, Kalyanpuri and Mayur Vihar.
Prabu Lal, a resident of Trilokpuri, who was admitted
with the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital in east Delhi after he
complained of diarrhoea and dizziness died today morning,
police said. A case was registered in this regard.
However, Additional Medical Superintendent of LBS
Hospital Dr Amita Saxena, said the death of Lal, who worked
with the MCD, was not due to consumption of buck wheat.
"He was admitted with complaints of dizziness and
uncontrollable blood pressure. He had been undergoing
treatment for heart disease and hypertension. He died because
of uncontrolled BP," she said, adding that the death was not
related to consumption of buck wheat.
A senior police official said they have arrested 11
shopkeepers in North-East Delhi where four cases were
registered.
Ten cases have been registered in East Delhi but no
one was arrested there so far. "We are in the process of
arresting some people involved in the incident," the official
said.
The arrested persons have been identified as
Bajranglal Jain, Tarun Kumar, Azad Nagar, Lokesh Singh,
Haridutt Sharma (MS Park), Vishnu Garg, Satya Narayan
(Welcome), Ankur, Utkarsh, Nand Kishore, Raj Kumar (Nandnagri)
and Jagannath (Jyoti Nagar).
In east Delhi, three cases have been registered in
Krishna Nagar, two in Shakarpur and one each in Farsh Bazar,
Madhu Vihar, Mandawli, Kalyanpuri and Mayur Vihar.
It all started at 7 am yesterday when patients
complaining of vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, and
dizziness started pouring in at different hospitals including
Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital and Dr
Hedgewar Hospital.
"Nandu Masala Mill in Mandoli is found to be the
manufacturer of the kuttu flour (buck wheat) consumed by the
victims. Raids are being conducted," the official said.
Kishore (45), the millowner, was arrested and a case
under section 272 (sale of noxious food or drink), 273
(punishment regarding sale of noxious food or drink) and 336
(act endangering life or personal safety of others) has been
registered against him.
PTI
