Hyderabad: Six Momo vendors held for culpable homicide after woman's death

Hyderabad, Nov 1 (IANS) Hyderabad Police have arrested six Momo vendors for culpable homicide after food poisoning led to the death of a woman and left many others hospitalised last week.

All the six vendors are natives of Bihar, the police said on Friday. They face charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

According to the police, they sold noxious, adulterated Momos that allegedly led to severe illness of many customers, and later death of one of them.

Reshma Begum (31), her daughters, and other customers on October 25 purchased Momos from a stall operated by the accused vendors at a vegetable market in Singada Kunta, Banjara Hills.

After consuming Momos at home, they began experiencing symptoms of food poisoning, including severe vomiting and diarrhea.

Reshma Begum succumbed two days later at a hospital. On her brother Farooq Hussain's complaint, Banjara Hills Police registered a case and took up an investigation.

Armaan (23), Sajid Hussain (20), Md. Raees (23), Md. Sharukh (29), Md. Haneef (21), and Md. Rajik (19) were booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 274 (Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale) , 275 (Sale of noxious food or drink), 125 (1) (rash or negligent act endangering human life or the personal safety of others) R/W 3 (5) (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The vendors, all natives of Kishanganj district of Bihar, have been arrested for selling adulterated Momos. They operate Momos stalls and reside in Chintal Basti.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) S. Venkat Reddy said the accused were presented in a court which sent them to judicial custody.

Following the death of a woman and several other persons falling ill allegedly after eating Momos, officials from the Food Safety Wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) raided several stalls and found some of them were illegally running without necessary permissions from authorities concerned.

The officials inspected 110 food stalls preparing Momos and 69 samples were collected and sent to the lab for analysis.

In another related development, the government of Telangana on October 30 banned mayonnaise prepared from raw eggs in the entire state after several instances of food poisoning linked to its consumption.

--IANS

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