8 devotees die of suspected food poisoning

BENGALURU: At least six persons, including a girl and a woman, died of suspected food poisoning in Sulvadi village in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district, police said on Friday.

The victims, including four men in mid-30s, died of suspected food poisoning after they consumed tomato rice offered as ‘prasad’ at a Hindu temple in the village, Chamarajanagarsuperintendentofpolice D.S. Meena told IANS from Hanur, 180 km from Bengaluru.

Around 82 others, all devotees of goddess Maramma, were admitted to three state-run hospitals at Hanur, Kollagal and Mysuru for treatment as they took ill after consuming the same food in the temple.

“The six victims were declared dead by the doctors at the Hanur hospital after they did not respond to the treatment while others are being treated for food poisoning in the three hospitals,” said Meena.

A case has been registered against a private trust managing the temple, belonging to the Lingayat community.

Marammaisconsideredanincarnation ofhindugoddessdurga,whoisworshipped for blessings on Fridays before doing any auspicious thing.

Police are also verifying complaints about 50 crows also dying in the temple’s vicinity after they too consumed the same food,

Meanwhile, Karnataka will seek a review of the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) December 6 order asking the state government to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for the revival of lakes in Bengaluru, a senior oficial said on Friday.

“The state government will soon ile a review petition against the Tribunal’s ruling by taking inputs from the city civic body and the state’s Bengaluru Development Authority,” the city civic body legal head Keshav Deshpande told IANS here.