Tahira, a 34-year-old woman from Arikkulam in Kozhikode district, was arrested for killing her nephew by feeding him poisoned ice-cream. The incident, which initially surfaced as a case of food poisoning, was resolved on Friday by a team of police officers led by Deputy Superintendent of Police PR Hariprasad.
On April 16, Ahmed Hasan Rifai, a class VI boy from Arikkulam, was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of suspected food poisoning. He died the next day. Officials from the Department of Health and Food Safety conducted a scientific inspection of the shop and found nothing unhealthy in the ice cream samples collected from the spot. Though the shop was temporarily closed after the incident, the police got a tip-off.
The boy’s autopsy report later revealed that ammonium phosphide was present in the victim’s body, confirming the suspected murder attempt with poison. According to police sources, the accused confessed to his crime during detailed interrogation. It was a narrow escape for the victim’s mother and two other siblings, who were not at home when they exchanged the poison-laden family pack of ice cream.
Police sources said the real motive behind the crime was not clear. He said that there were some suspected differences between the families, due to which the vendetta could have started.