Amaravati, March 8 – The death toll due to acute renal failure caused by milk adulteration in the city of Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, reached 12 on Sunday as a 73-year-old woman died while undergoing medical treatment at a private hospital.
Senapathi Ramalaxmi, a resident of the Laalacheruvu area in the city, was admitted to the hospital on February 16 after reportedly consuming adulterated milk.
Nine people, including three infants, are still fighting for their lives with acute renal failure.
According to East Godavari District Collector Kirthi Chekuri, as many as 20 people suffered acute renal failure after consuming milk adulterated with ethylene glycol.
She said that on February 16, some people who had consumed the adulterated milk were admitted to various hospitals due to urinary obstruction and kidney-related problems.
The incident came to light on February 22 after Tadi Krishnaveni (76) died while undergoing treatment for anuria (inability to pass urine) at the Kakinada Government Hospital.
While the relatives were shifting her body from Kakinada to Rajahmundry, they discovered that she and some others were admitted to various hospitals with the same problem.
Based on the report given by the deceased's son, a case was registered at the Rajahmundry 3 Town Police Station under Section 194 of the BNSS.
As part of the investigation, blood samples of the victims, the adulterated milk and curd supplied to the victims, as well as the milk from the Varalakshmi Milk Centre run by Addala Ganeswara Rao in Narasapuram, the freezer used for storage, and other materials were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL), and other labs.
According to the Collector, the investigation revealed that Ganeswara Rao, alias Ganesh, 37, has been collecting milk from 43 farmers around the Narasapuram village for some time, storing it in a freezer with two containers at his house, and later pouring it into cans and supplying it to people residing in the Chaudeswaranagar and Swaroopnagar areas of the city.
Some customers had told Ganeswara Rao that the milk supplied on February 15 was bitter. They made the same complaint the next day.
Ganeswara Rao noticed that the freezer was leaking, and so he took it to a workshop in Rajahmundry for repair. He got it repaired, and M-seal was applied to the leaking container and freezer walls.
Based on the five reports from the FSL and RFSL labs and the final opinion given by the Forensic Assistant Professor, it was found that the deceased died of acute renal failure due to the consumption of adulterated milk containing toxic ethylene glycol.
Ganeswara Rao has been arrested and sent for judicial remand.