Gujarat: Four members of family die after drinking toddy

VADODARA: Four persons of a family died after consuming toddy that was mixed with some poisonous substance in Sinhada village of Chhota Udepur district on Tuesday.
Farmer Devsinh Rathwa (42), his wife Dhedadi (40), two sons - Suresh and Manish - and his aunt Sanati started vomiting minutes after drinking toddy on Monday evening. As their health deteriorated, their neighbours took them to the community health centre in Panvad nearby, but were rushed to a private hospital as their condition became critical.
While Sanati survived, the couple and two sons succumbed at a private hospital in Chhota Udepur town early on Tuesday. Sanati had come to meet Devsinh and his family from her home at Rumadiya village.
The family had consumed toddy collected from a palm tree from their farm near their house.
“Primary investigation has revealed that Devsinh had sprinkled pesticides on the palm tree to keep bees and other insects away from the pot fastened to collect the toddy,” said deputy superintendent of police, A V Katkad. Due to incessant rainfall on Sunday night, it is possible that the pesticides seeped inside the toddy and the family may not have realized while consuming, he said.
Senior police officials including the Chhota Udepur superintendent of police (SP) MS Bhabhor also visited the as deaths due to toddy has been unheard of till date in the tribal belt.
“We asked around, but this is probably first such incident when people have died after consuming toddy,” Katkad said.
Toddy, a naturally alcoholic sap of palm tree. A pot is fastened to a cut flower stump of palm tree due to collect the sap over a few days. Later, the liquid is fermented which makes it alcoholic.