Jahangir Ganaie
Srinagar, Jan 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday ordered constitution of an inter-ministerial team led by the Ministry of Home Affairs to visit Budhal village in Rajouri District to ascertain the cause of mysterious illness that has taken 16 lives within a span of 45 days in a small hamlet.
The team will arrive in Budhal village on January 19 (Sunday) and in collaboration with the local administration it would work on providing immediate relief as well as taking precautionary measures to prevent such incidents in future.
The team constituted by the Union Home Minister comprises experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Ministry of Water Resources. “The team will also be assisted by experts from animal husbandry, food safety and forensic science labs,” an official said.
“The team has experts from some of the most reputed institutions of the country. They have been arranged to manage the situation and understand the causative factors of deaths,” the official added.
Deaths create ripples
The mysterious deaths in Budhal village of Rajouri district have created ripples across Jammu and Kashmir.
Health Minister of the Union Territory Sakeena Masood Itoo has declared that these deaths did not occur due to any virus or influenza.
She said, “Five deaths occurring initially had sent alarm bells ringing. It seemed that these deaths could have taken place due to some virus or influenza.”
“We were apprehending that it could be a virus like Covid but it’s nothing like it. All tests have come negative,” she added.
The Minister said that the Health Department was monitoring the situation closely from the very first day. “Samples were collected from the area and were sent for testing in five labs including Lucknow, Pune, Delhi, Chandigarh and GMC Jammu, but all of them tested negative,” Itoo said, adding, “The teams of Health Department carried out the extensive survey and took samples of the people who were ill but no virus or influenza was found. All these tested negative in different laboratories.”
Meanwhile, an 11-member Special Investigation Team, headed by Budhal Superintendent of Police (Operations) Wajahat Hussain, has been formed to explore any possible criminal angle in these deaths. “Investigators are examining all food items and medicines consumed by the victim families of Fazal, Mohammad Rafiq, and Mohammad Aslam.”
The SIT has started its probe, examining the circumstances in the village, reviewing medical purchases from local chemists, and questioning residents.
The first incident was reported on December 7 last year when a family of seven fell ill after a community meal, resulting in five deaths. On December 12, a family of nine was affected, with three deaths.
The third incident occurred on January 12, involving a family of ten, with six children hospitalised.
On Wednesday night, Zabeena Kouser, 10, another child of Mohammad Aslam, died at SMGS Hospital, while her 15-year-old sister Yasmeen remains critical, officials said.
The authorities have maintained that the incidents are not linked to any communicable disease. “Toxicological analysis by CSIR-IITR detected toxins in multiple biological specimens,” said an official.
It’s in place to mention here that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Friday had chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the alarming situation in Budhal village.
The Chief Minister had directed the Health and Police departments to expedite their investigations. “The unexplained nature of these deaths is deeply concerning, and the government is committed to ensuring that the root cause is identified at the earliest. I urge all departments to collaborate and leave no stone unturned in resolving this issue,” he stated.
Expressing his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the Chief Minister reassured the public that the administration is treating the situation with the highest priority.
