PATIALA: A 10-year-old girl named Manvi passed away from suspected food poisoning after celebrating her birthday in Punjab. The family, residing in Patiala, ordered a birthday cake online from ‘Cake Kanha’ to mark the occasion. However, tragedy struck when the entire family, including Manvi’s younger sister, fell ill after consuming the cake. According to her grandfather, Harban Lal, the celebration turned into a nightmare as Manvi and her sister started vomiting shortly after eating the cake. Harban Lal recounted that Manvi, in particular, expressed extreme thirst and complained of dryness in her mouth before retiring to bed. The family noticed her condition worsening overnight, prompting them to rush her to the hospital the next morning. Despite the medical efforts, Manvi could not be saved and was declared dead shortly after arrival. The family has pointed fingers at the chocolate cake from ‘Cake Kanha’, alleging that it contained a poisonous substance that led to Manvi’s untimely demise. An FIR has been filed against the bakery owner, and investigations are underway. The postmortem examination has been conducted, and samples from the cake have been sent for testing to ascertain the presence of any harmful substances. This incident is reminiscent of a similar case that surfaced in Kerala in October 2023. A 24-year-old man named Rahul Nair succumbed to food poisoning after consuming shawarma from an eatery in Kochi. The restaurant, reportedly responsible for Nair’s death, was subsequently shut down by the authorities. These incidents underscore the critical importance of food safety standards and the need for stringent measures to prevent such tragic occurrences in the future.
