Three sisters, including a 9-month-old infant, all of whom were minors, died under mysterious circumstances in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhatarpur on Saturday, hours after they ate Baingan Bharta for dinner, police reported on Sunday. According to police, they, along with a team of health officials, exhumed the bodies of the girls for an autopsy. 

The incident unfolded in the Pipora Khurd village under the jurisdiction of Isanagar police station. The girls who died have been identified as Poonam (7), Manisha (3) and 9-month-old Chahat. 

Girls taken ill after dinner

As per a preliminary police probe, the trio had consumed Baingan bharta (mashed brinjal) and roti for dinner. According to their kin, they fell ill after 3 am and developed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. 

Two of them were taken to the hospital at around 7 am, but they died during treatment. The family subsequently took their bodies to their ancestral village in Panota, and buried them without informing the cops or getting their autopsies done. 

Authorities have still not termed the mashed brinjal as the reason behind their deaths. 

Cops learn of deaths hours later

Matguwa police station in-charge Ankur Chaubey told the media that the police received information about the deaths at around 10:30 am on Saturday. Subsequently, a police team was dispatched to the spot, which verified the information and interrogated the family members of the trio. 

Chaubey added that the kids had reportedly fallen ill after consuming a meal and that they had eaten mashed brinjal and roti. However, he underlined that the exact cause of death could only be established after medical and forensic examinations. 

According to sources, the circumstances surrounding  the death of Chahat remain unclear. The investigating police personnel are trying to ascertain what led to her death and whether it had any connection with the food consumed by the children. 

Bodies to be exhumed for post-mortem

Chhatarpur’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) RP Gupta said he rushed to the village upon receipt of the information of the incident. Police, revenue officials and experts were also roped in during this. 

Gupta said, “We are collecting all relevant information and the bodies will be exhumed for post-mortem,” adding that medical and forensic reports would help in determining the actual cause behind the deaths. 

Forensic teams have been directed to collect evidence, while officials are questioning the girl’s kin and are trying to piece together the sequence of events before and after the kids fell ill. 

The bodies of the girls are being exhumed for post-mortem examinations. The autopsy and forensic reports are expected to determine whether the deaths were linked to suspected food poisoning, an illness or another factor.