5 taken ill after consuming mouth freshener at eatery

Gurugram, March 4

Five family friends who had gone for dinner at a restaurant in Sector 90 fell ill after reportedly consuming mouth freshener offered by the restaurant following the meal. Their mouths not only began burning but they also experienced bleeding and vomiting. Allegedly, the restaurant staff provided no assistance, fleeing the scene, prompting a call to the police who then transported them to a nearby hospital. An FIR was lodged against the restaurant owner and staff members under Sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC on Sunday.

According to the complaint filed by Ankit Kumar, a resident of Greater Noida, on Saturday night, he, along with his wife Neha Sabharwal, his friends Manik Gondka and his wife Pritika Rustagi, Deepak Arora and his wife Himani, dined at a restaurant in Sector 90.

“After the dinner, a waiter offered us mouth freshener. As I was carrying my one-year-old daughter in my lap, I refrained from consuming it. However, when the health of my friends and my wife started deteriorating, I insisted on knowing what they had been given. The waiter placed an open polythene packet in front of us, which I took into my possession. Upon reaching the hospital, I presented the packet of mouth freshener to the doctor, who identified it as dry ice, a deadly acid capable of causing death,” Ankit stated in his complaint.

“I demand strict action against the owner and staff of the restaurant, as four of my friends are still undergoing treatment in the hospital,” he added. “In the medico-legal report (MLR) of the five individuals, the doctor diagnosed them with chemical burns poisoning. We are investigating all angles,” said SHO Manoj Kumar.