Ajay Beldar and Ananta KhedkarTwo young men who worked at a college canteen in the city were found dead in their rented apartment in Dhankawadi on Wednesday. Police suspect that the two men died after inhaling poisonous fumes from the insecticide used for pest control in their apartment.
Police have identified the deceased as Ajay Beldar (20), who was from Jalgaon district, and Ananta Khedkar (20) who was from Buldhana. They were found dead in their flat in Mama Yenpure Nagar in Dhankawadi on Wednesday by the manager of their canteen, who had gone there to check on the duo, as they had not turned up for work that day.
“The death was reported to us after the canteen manager went to their room on Wednesday afternoon. When the manager did not get any response from the two, he broke the window glass and saw them lying inside. The door was broken down and they were rushed to a hospital, where they were declared dead. The primary probe revealed that some kind of pest control insecticide was sprayed or sprinkled in the room. We have found empty packets of a pest control chemical in the dustbin and some house lizards were also found dead, suggesting heavy use of the chemical,” said Senior Inspector Vishnu Pawar of Bharti Vidyapeeth police station.
The police believe that Beldar and Khedkar bought the chemicals and sprayed it in the flat themselves.
“We have reasons to believe that these youths had purchased those chemicals and sprayed or sprinkled it in the flat. But we are also looking into the possibility that they had hired a company to carry out pest control. The pest control was carried out on March 3, the two men went to a friend’s place to sleep on the nights of March 3 and 4, and came back home on March 5. Primary observations suggest that the doors and windows, sealed and closed while carrying out the pest control, were not opened later. The two went to sleep while all the windows and doors were completely closed. The death could have occurred by inhaling the fumes. The post-mortem also suggests signs of poisoning but the chemical analysis of their viscera will confirm the suspicion,” he added.
The family members of both youths have demanded a thorough probe. They have said all possible angles, including foul play, should be investigated.
“As part of the probe, we will be taking the opinion of toxicology experts and also find out from where the chemical was bought. We will also check if the seller had all the adequate permits. The officer appointed as per the provisions of the Insecticides Act 1968 and its rules for Maharashtra will be contacted for further action,” said an officer from the Bharti Vidyapeeth police station.
