Ahmedabad: Though repeated incidents of food contamination have been reported at eateries across the city, a recent case has turned tragic, with suspected food poisoning claiming the lives of two young girls and leaving their parents hospitalised.

The incident came to light in the Chandkheda area, where a family had reportedly purchased ready-made batter (kheeru) from the market to prepare dosa. After consuming the dosa made from the batter, 4 family members allegedly began to feel unwell and exhibited symptoms of severe food poisoning.

In this incident, a around three-month-old infant named Raha and a four-year-old girl named Mishri died. Meanwhile, Bhavna Prajapati (mother) and Vimal Prajapati (father) are undergoing treatment at a private hospital, where their condition is reported to be critical.

However, questions are being raised, as solid food is typically not given to infants, leading to concerns about the possible cause of death of the around three-month-old child. Another possibility that has emerged is that the infant may have been affected if the mother breastfed her after allegedly suffering from food poisoning.

Vimal’s father, Gaurishankar Prajapati, said, “My son brought kheeru from Ghanshyam Dairy on IOC Road at around 8:00 pm. He made dosa from it and ate it. The next morning, he started vomiting and was admitted to the hospital. Later, his wife, unaware that the illness was caused by the food, also consumed the same batter and fed dosa to their little girl. From the next day, they too began vomiting. We then took all of them to the hospital.”

He added that his son and daughter-in-law are currently admitted to KD Hospital and demanded strict police action in the matter.

Meanwhile, Chandkheda police have launched an investigation and collected food samples to determine whether adulteration or contamination was present in the consumed item. The post-mortem of the deceased girl is being conducted. To ascertain the exact cause of death, the police have also sought assistance from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). Authorities are probing whether this is a case of food poisoning, contamination in the batter, or any other suspicious cause.

Watch: On deaths of two girls in Ahmedabad, Chandkheda Police Station PI J.K. Makwana says, “Yesterday, on 5/4/2026, Vipul Kumar Gaurishankar Prajapati informed us that his three-year-old daughter, Mishti, has died. When he was questioned about the matter, he stated that on the… https://t.co/XB6YaIvZeD pic.twitter.com/1qAqjONMTo

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) April 6, 2026

Addressing the media, Police Inspector J.K. Makwana said the family had purchased dosa batter on April 1, 2026, and prepared and consumed dosas the same day. The following day, they again used the same batter to prepare food, after which all family members experienced symptoms consistent with food poisoning, including vomiting and weakness. Initially, the family sought basic medical treatment and got temporary relief. However, as their condition worsened, they were later admitted to KD Hospital for treatment.

On April 4, their two-and-a-half-month-old daughter died suddenly at home. The family did not inform the police at that time and performed the last rites. Subsequently, on April 5, their three-year-old daughter collapsed after experiencing dizziness in the morning. She was rushed to KD Hospital, where doctors declared her dead. In this connection, Chandkheda Police registered a case of accidental death and initiated further investigation.

He further stated that a post-mortem of the deceased child has been conducted by a panel of doctors. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the Food and Drugs Department have also joined the probe. Samples have been collected from the family’s residence as well as from Ghanshyam Dairy, from where the batter was reportedly purchased. Officials clarified that the exact cause of death can only be determined after laboratory reports are received, and no final conclusion can be drawn at this stage.

Meanwhile, the parents remain hospitalized, and their statements are yet to be fully recorded due to their health condition. Authorities are also investigating whether the same batch of batter was sold to others and if any additional cases of illness have been reported. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the FSL and Food and Drugs Department reports.

Ketan Patel, owner of Ghanshyam Dairy, said, “That evening, the woman and her husband came to purchase kheeru from us, which we provided. We have many customers and sell around 100 to 125 kg of kheeru daily. The same batch was also consumed by our relatives and other customers, and no one else reported any issue. We prepare the kheeru here at Ghanshyam Dairy, and no such complaint has been received from anyone else.”

Ketan Patel’s brother, Vipulbhai, said, “On April 1, they came to purchase batter. The man had come, and at that time my elder brother, Ketanbhai, was present here. He gave them 3 kg of batter. After taking it, they returned on the 3rd in the evening and said that after consuming our batter that evening, they experienced stomach pain. I then checked the CCTV footage of April 1. From the same drum from which we had given them batter, around 10 customers before them and 10 customers after them had also purchased batter from the same batch.

These are our regular customers, so I personally went and asked them whether they had faced any issues. Everyone said they had no problem. There was another customer, Dharmishtaben, who said she even fed idli made from the same batter to her 3–4-year-old child the next day, and there was no issue at all.”

“Since such a complaint was made, I checked all the CCTV footage. We have installed CCTV for hygiene and safety purposes, so we can track from which drum the batter was taken and how many customers were served from it. I have complete records of that. Around 10–15 customers bought batter from the same batch as this woman. You are free to verify this; I have no objection. If the batter was actually spoiled, there would have been multiple complaints from several customers. But we have not received even a single complaint apart from this one,” he added.

Dr. Tejas Shah, an official from the food department of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, said that an investigation is underway into the incident.

At present, the matter remains under investigation, and the exact cause of the children’s deaths will be clear only after the post-mortem and FSL reports are released. DeshGujarat