Bengaluru: The death toll in the food-poisoning incident at a temple in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district rose to 14 after a 35-year-old woman passed away on Monday morning.
The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Mallibai, who passed away at 8:45 am on Monday. An official said that two more deaths were reported on Sunday, taking the death toll to 14.
A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against seven people from the temple management under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigations are on, the police said.
State Health Department Joint Director Suresh Shastry said two deaths were reported at Apollo Hospital on Sunday. The deceased have been identified as Mageshwari, 36, and Salamma, 35.
The official said four patients were on ventilator at another hospital, where two of them were critical and one might need assisted ventilation. The tragedy occurred on Friday morning at Sulavadi village where a special pooja was conducted at the Maramma Devi temple for groundbreaking ceremony.
Later, prasad was distributed and those who consumed it started complaining of stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea-like symptoms. They were rushed to hospitals in Bengaluru, Mysuru, as well as neighbouring towns.
It has also come to light that a large number of crows and some other birds, approximately 80, which consumed the poisonous prasad, died. At least 100 people are still hospitalised, sources in the Health Department said.
Police are probing suspected foul play in the incident and the villagers have urged the government to take over the temple management as stories are doing rounds that factional feud within the temple management led to the prasad's poisoning.
It has also emerged that the CCTV cameras installed in the temple were defunct. Two people have been detained.
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