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Family's arsenic plot kills three with poisoned sweets
2 Feb
Summary
- A family's revenge plot led to three deaths via poisoned sweets.
- Arsenic levels in the sweets were thousands of times higher than permissible.
- The accused included a father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.
What began as a food-poisoning mystery in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, has been unraveled as a deliberate family conspiracy involving arsenic. The incident led to the deaths of a woman named Khushboo Kathuria, her 72-year-old grandfather, and a local security guard. Initially, an unclaimed bag containing sweets was found, which the security guard consumed, leading to his death. The same sweets were later taken home by a shopkeeper's family, where Khushboo and her grandfather ingested them.
Investigators uncovered that Khushboo had accused her in-laws of harassment after her marriage in January 2024. Humiliated by these allegations, her father-in-law, Jhadu Kasar, along with her brother-in-law Shubham and sister-in-law Shivani, allegedly hatched a plan for revenge. They mixed arsenic into sweets and placed the bag near Khushboo's father's shop, intending for her or her family to consume them. Forensic analysis revealed dangerously high arsenic levels in the pedas.
Authorities believe the accused did not foresee the security guard being the first victim, classifying his death as collateral damage. Technical and cyber evidence aided police in apprehending the accused, leading to the seizure of their motorcycle and mobile phones. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder and criminal conspiracy, with further investigations ongoing.
