Eleven people died and ninety were taken ill after consuming temple food, called prasad at a temple in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka.
The religious food offering was served at Kichu Maranda temple, which is 160 Km from the city of Bangalore. The devotees were given tomato – rice and flavoured water, it smelled toxic more like kerosene or pesticide.
The police are investigating the case and feel that it was a deliberate attempt to poison people.
People were treated for vomiting, diarrhoea and respiratory distress, many patients are serious and on ventilator. The occasion of the food distribution was a stone laying ceremony inside the temple premises.
Many crows in the area who may have consumed the toxic food were also found dead on the streets.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka has ordered for an enquiry to bring the culprits to book, he also visited patients in the hospital. He announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the victims.