AHMEDABAD: As many as five died in three different villages in Kheda district of Gujarat and one man was critical after consuming a herbal syrup laced with methyl alcohol, said police officers.Police said that three men have been detained in the case to know the source of the spurious syrup which was sold at Rs 130 for each bottle to the people in Kheda district.On November 27, Mitesh Chauhan, 27, from Vadadala village in Mahemdavad taluka of Kheda went to his sisters house for a house warming ceremony in Bagadu village.
Chauhan, along with his brother-in-law Alpesh Sodha, had allegedly drunk the herbal syrup Meghasav on November 27 night, said a police officer.On November 28 morning, Alpesh was going to drop Chauhan at his house in an autorickshaw during which Chauhan suffered uneasiness and began vomiting.
Alpesh called up an 108 ambulance which reached Chauhan and its medical staff checked Chauhan and declared him dead.Even after that, Alpesh took him to a government run hospital and a private hospital in Mahemdavad where doctors confirmed that Chauhan had died.
Chauhans body was cremated at his native Vadadala village in Mahemdavad.Alpesh, who was suffering from oral cancer, also developed complications like uneasiness and vomiting due to the effect of the syrup.
He was admitted to a private hospital in Mahemdavad where he died on Wednesday night.After that, three men from Bilodara village in Nadiad named Natu Sodha, Arjun Sodha and Ashok Sodha were admitted in two different private hospitals following complications of uneasiness and vomiting.Arjun and Ashok had died on Wednesday evening after which the issue of deaths due to consumption of hooch went viral.
After which, a team of Kheda police began an inquiry and found a patient admitted in an ICU ward of a private hospital.
Before police questioned him, he died and the cops had to convince his family for the legal case.Kheda SP Rajesh Gadhia said that a panel post mortem was done on Natus body which found 0.12% methyl alcohol content in the blood.We later learned that the seller of the spurious herbal syrup was a grocery shop owner from Bilodara named Kishan Sodha.
He had sold syrups to 55 different persons who have been identified and five of them died.
The remaining 50 are in good condition, said Gadhia.He said that even Kishans father Sankal Sodha had also consumed the syrup and was admitted to Ahmedabad Civil hospital.
We have also found methyl alcohol from his blood sample.
Sankals health condition has deteriorated and he is on dialysis, said Gadhia.