Mathura: Over 60 fall ill after eating kuttu ke pakore on Janmashtami

More than 60 individuals, including women and children, were hospitalised after consuming food made from buckwheat flour, according to officials on Tuesday. The victims, who were fasting for Janmashtami, experienced symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, and shivering. Authorities have raided and sealed the shops of two vendors who supplied the contaminated flour, and a case has been registered against them.

Victims' Accounts of the Incident

Priyanka, a teenager admitted to the government hospital, shared her experience: "We had fritters made from buckwheat flour last night. After that, I started vomiting and felt a burning sensation in my stomach."

Pritam Singh, another resident from Parkham village, stated, "After consuming the fritters, people complained of dizziness, vomiting, and shivering. The buckwheat flour was purchased from a local shop in the village."


Mahesh, whose wife was also affected, added, "My wife is unable to stand; she has become very weak, almost unconscious."

Health Department's Swift Response

Dr. Bhudev Prasad, in charge of the Rapid Response Team of the Health Department, reported receiving complaints of food poisoning from several villages in the Farah police station area during the night. "Teams from the Health Department, Farah Community Health Centre (CHC), and District Hospital responded swiftly. Initially, patients were treated at the CHC, but as numbers increased, they were moved to the District Hospital, the 100-bed Joint Hospital in Vrindavan, and SN Medical College in Agra," he said.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Ajay Kumar Verma confirmed that over 60 people were admitted to various hospitals. He added, "Patients showing improvement today will be discharged."

Investigations and Legal Actions

The affected individuals are from Parkham, Baroda, Mirzapur, Makhdoom, and Khairat villages. They purchased the buckwheat flour from two suppliers, Jhagdu and Rajkumar, who had sourced their goods from major grocery merchants in Farah.

District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar Singh ordered the District Food and Drug Administration to raid and seal the shops of the suppliers. Police are actively searching for the accused shopkeepers. The CMO noted that six victims were admitted to SN Medical College in Agra, 15 to the District Hospital in Mathura, and the remainder to the 100-bed hospital and the CHC in Farah.

The District Magistrate also mentioned that the Food and Drugs Department is continuing legal action and collecting samples from shops in the area. All victims are currently stable and receiving ongoing treatment.

(Inputs from PTI)