The police are investigating the death of a 7-year-old student, with suspicions of food poisoning linked to an expired cake.
A 7-year-old boy died under mysterious circumstances at a private school near Kavanur in the Ranipet district of Tamil Nadu on Monday, prompting a police investigation.
According to police, they are probing all angles, including food poisoning as the cause of death. “The deceased, Mithun, a second-grade student and resident of Thamaraipakkam near Thimiri, had eaten lunch brought from home before returning to class and collapsed softly after,” they said.
Soon after the incident, school staff alerted the boy’s parents and rushed him to a nearby private hospital, where he was given first aid and later transferred to the Arcot Government Hospital. However, he was declared dead on arrival by the doctors.
“Upon receiving the information, a police team was immediately rushed to the scene. The body has been sent for a postmortem to determine the exact cause of death,” said an official. “An investigation is underway, including enquiries with the school administration, the child’s family, and the bakery where the food was purchased.”
The initial probe revealed that Mithun had eaten a cake brought from home around 11:30 a.m. and later had idlis for lunch. “The cake had been purchased from a local bakery in Thamaraipakkam five days earlier and stored in the refrigerator. His sister, who also ate the cake, said it smelled bad, and she did not finish it,” police said.
The investigating officers confirmed that the cake had expired as they, along with food safety officers, visited the bakery and examined the cake. “Samples have been taken for further investigation, and the shop has been temporarily sealed until the autopsy report is received,” they said.
“Further enquiries are underway involving the bakery owner, school staff, and Mithun’s parents. Police said the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem examination,” officials added.