NOIDA/LUCKNOW: In a suspected case of food poisoning, a couple and their three children were found dead at a village in Greater Noida's Rabupura on Saturday, police said.
According to police, Mahesh (37), his wife Lalita (35), their daughter Mishti (7), and sons Laddu (11) and Sakshat (3) were found dead at Nagla Shri Padam village on Saturday morning.
Prima facie, it appears to be a case of food poisoning, they said. The family had consumed noodles for dinner the previous night, according to locals and Mahesh's mother.
Following the incident, forensic officials and a team from the Food Safety Department reached the spot to collect evidence and samples.
The exact cause of the deaths is not known yet, and further legal action would be taken based on the post-mortem reports and forensic findings, police said.
“Prima facie, it seems to be a case of food poisoning… The post-mortem report will reveal the fact. We are sending the items recovered for examination,” DCP Shravan Kumar Singh said.
BJP's Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, who visited the spot, said he has apprised the chief minister's office about the tragic incident.
“Particular attention is being paid to determining whether any toxic substance was present in the food consumed by the family or whether the deaths occurred due to some other reasons. The exact cause of the deaths can be confirmed only after the post-mortem reports are received,” he said.
“The untimely death of five members of a family, including three children, in such circumstances is deeply painful and heart-wrenching. The police, administration and food department teams are engaged in the investigation,” Singh said.
“I expect every aspect of the incident to be investigated impartially. It should be clarified at the earliest what exactly led to the tragic loss of an entire family,” he added.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati termed the incident extremely heartbreaking and a matter of concern.
In a post on X in Hindi, Mayawati said, “The news of the death of five members of the same family due to possibly consuming poisonous food in Greater Noida is extremely heartbreaking and also a matter of grave concern.
“The government must ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and take strict action against those responsible.”
The Samajwadi Party claimed that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP, adulterated food products, contaminated edibles, and toxic vegetables and fruits are being sold rampantly in the state.
“Those behind these trades in poisonous and counterfeit food items are all affiliated with the BJP. Just think how the BJP government is killing us all one by one. If the BJP remains in power, will everyone end up losing their lives,” it asked in an X post.