Karnataka: 1 dead, 9 hospitalised after consuming prasad at Chikkaballapura temple

The incident has come over a month after 14 people were killed in a mass food poisoning incident at a Chamarajanagar temple in the state.

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Karnataka: 1 dead, 9 hospitalised after consuming prasad at Chikkaballapura temple
Police conducting an investigation into the incident where a woman died & 6 others fell ill after consuming 'prasad' at Gangamma temple. (Image ANI)

In Short

  • Three women have been detained in connection with the case
  • Two unidentified women had distributed the prasad at Gangamma Devi temple
  • Efforts are on to trace the women who distributed the offering outside the temple

A woman died and nine others were hospitalised after they allegedly consumed contaminated prasad (offering) served outside a temple in Chikkaballapura district in Karnataka, police said on Saturday. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Kavita. The nine people who have been hospitalised include two children and four members of the deceased.

The incident has come over a month after 14 people were killed in a mass food poisoning incident at a Chamarajanagar temple in the state.

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Three women have been detained in connection with the case, the police said. Two unidentified women had come to the Gangamma Devi temple in Chintamani town where a grand celebration took place on Friday night and distributed Kesari Bhat (halwa) to the devotees.

After consuming it, people started complaining of stomach pain, police said, adding they were rushed to a private hospital in the town.

"The temple management is not involved as nobody had prepared any 'prasad' there. Two women had brought some prasad and were distributing it," police said.

Efforts are on to trace the women who distributed the offering outside the temple, police said.

Last month, 14 people lost their lives and more than 100 were hospitalised in Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka after they consumed 'prasad' laced with poison at a temple. A seer of Salur Math Pattada Immadi Mahadevaswamy and three others were arrested on charges of murder and attempt to murder for reportedly poisoning the temple offering.

The state opposition had then said the incident looked like a planned conspiracy. Without giving details of his theory, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa asked the Karnataka government to take strict action and punish those involved in perpetrating the incident.

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