Telangana: Adulterated Toddy Claims 10th Life

Hyderabad: A 42-year-old woman who had consumed toddy earlier this month died while undergoing treatment at Osmania General Hospital on Wednesday, taking the toll in the adulterated toddy case to 10.

According to Kukatpally inspector Rajesh, the deceased, Dendi Sunitha, a resident of Kukatpally, is reported to have consumed toddy at a shop in the HMT area on July 5. As per a complaint lodged by her son, she fell ill the next day after travelling to her native village in Indrakal in Nagarkurnool district, where she began experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea.

She was initially treated at the government hospital in Nagarkurnool and was later shifted to Osmania General Hospital on July 15. She died on the morning of July 17.

Earlier this month, at least nine people died after consuming adulterated toddy. Preliminary investigations suggested that Alprazolam had been mixed with the toddy to give it a stronger effect. However, the final report from the Forensic Science Laboratory is awaited. A case has been registered at the Kukatpally police station, and further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, Osmania Hospital authorities have denied any deaths linked to the incident. The exact number of patients currently being treated in connection with the Kukatpally toddy case remains unclear, as hospital officials were unresponsive. However, OGH superintendent Dr Rakesh Sahay said two patients are being treated for symptoms caused by adulterated toddy, though he denied any link with the Kukatpally incident.

Excise enforcement teams continued their crackdown, seizing more than 1,000 litres of spurious toddy in multiple raids across Hyderabad on Wednesday. In a surprise find, SVS-brand toddy packets were recovered from a hotel in Ayodhyanagar, Gundla Pochampally.

Based on a tip-off, a team led by CI Subash Chander raided a hotel run by one Shankar Goud and seized 270 litres of toddy, along with toddy packets and edible stones. The hotel owner failed to disclose the source of the toddy and was handed over to the Medchal excise station.

In a separate operation in Malkajgiri, 20 litres of toddy being sold without a licence were seized and handed over to the Shadnagar excise station, said AES Jeevan Kiran.

In Saidabad under the Malakpet excise limits, 750 litres of toddy were seized during a raid led by STPA team leader Anji Reddy. Two individuals, identified as Palle Bikshapati and Bodige Srinivas Goud, were booked after toxin samples were collected.