- An elderly man in Surat fell ill after eating sweets mistaken for a religious offering
- The sweets contained toxic pesticide tablets embedded inside, found by the victim's family
- Surat Police seized the sweets and are analysing CCTV footage to identify the culprit
An elderly man in Gujarat's Surat felt critically ill after consuming sweets which he mistook for a religious offering.
When Govardhanbhai Donda arrived home on April 10, he found a packet of sweets hanging from the front door's handle. Assuming it was a traditional offering, he took consumed a piece. Within minutes, he felt dizzy, collapsed and eventually became unconscious. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was stabilised with treatment.
An alarm was raised when his daughter-in-law Kiran Donda tasted a small portion of the same sweet and tasted an unusual, bitter flavour. When she broke the sweet apart, suspicious tablets were found embedded within it.
Preliminary examinations suggested the tablets were highly toxic pesticides, typically used for grain preservation. Kiran Donda alleged a deliberate conspiracy to cause fatal harm to their family.
Surat Police seized the remaining sweets for forensic analysis and are reviewing CCTV footage to identify who placed the sweet on the house's door. They are also questioning residents to identify the accused.
While the family has pointed towards neighbours as potential suspects due to existing frictions, the police are maintaining a broad investigative scope. "We are investigating this as an attempted murder," a senior official confirmed. "Every angle, including personal enmity and neighbourhood disputes, is being scrutinised to bring the perpetrators to justice."
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, serving as a grim reminder of the risks associated with accepting food from unknown or unverified sources.
