Surat: The police have solved the aluminium phosphide (Celphos) poisoning incident which occurred at Anabh Gems in Kapodra, leading to the hospitalization of 118 workers. Following a detailed review of CCTV footage and tracking the source of the toxic chemical, the police have arrested 29-year-old Nikunj Devmurari, who had served as a manager at the unit for the past four years.

Devmurari reportedly told police he was under financial stress, burdened by a debt of ₹9 lakh. He claimed to have purchased the Celphos, commonly used as a pesticide, with the intention of ending his life. However, he later tossed the packet into a water cooler at the unit instead. Police have charged him with attempted murder.

According to police, the case was tough due to no direct footage of the cooler contamination. Investigators used nearby CCTV and found Devmurari near the cooler just before he raised the first alarm.

A separate team traced the Celphos packet to a Sarthana medical store, confirming Devmurari had bought it. He later confessed, but police are still probing whether he intended suicide or aimed to harm others.

The police revealed that Devmurari, who earned ₹21,000 a month, also ran an online grocery business that had failed, adding to his financial woes. He allegedly lived beyond his means, which worsened his debt situation. On March 31, he bought the pesticide from Kirti Medical Store and later threw it into the office cooler. After realizing the consequences, he reportedly tried to alert others by calling out the smell. DeshGujarat