Since Sunday, five specially-abled and orphan boys, aged 5 to 15, have died at the Shri Yugpurush Dham Baudhik Vikas Kendra orphanage in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Over 30 others are admitted to the Government Chacha Nehru Hospital in the city, with symptoms of suspected food poisoning, and four to five are in critical condition.
The deaths began with one boy who died on Sunday from epileptic fits, followed by four more who succumbed to suspected food poisoning on Monday and Tuesday.
The deceased children, identified as Shubham alias Karan, Akash, Shubh, Divya, and Govind, showed symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea.
Ongoing Investigation
Indore district collector Ashish Singh said, “We’ve sent medical teams to the concerned orphanage to conduct a detailed examination of all children there (including girls).
“Samples of food prepared at the concerned orphanage’s kitchen have been collected by our teams and sent for analysis to the government and as private labs,” he added.
A probe panel headed by the Additional District Magistrate of Indore has been formed to determine the cause of the deaths and ensure food safety compliance.
Controversy
The investigation has also been marred by controversy. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Om Narayan Badkul was removed from his post after a video surfaced showing him laughing with the orphanage head, Anita Sharma, while the body of a dead boy lay nearby.
This incident has sparked public outrage and raised questions about the officials' conduct.
Indore orphanage deaths: Local SDM Om Narayan Badkul removed from his post after a viral video showing him laugh with the orphanage head Anita Sharma and others, while the body of one boy lied nearby in the orphanage premises. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard @santwana99 pic.twitter.com/3bBydJpCvp — Anuraag Singh (@anuraag_niebpl) July 2, 2024
Government Response
State Ministers Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsi Silavat visited the hospitalised children. Vijayvargiya emphasised the need to improve living standards and food quality at the orphanage to prevent such incidents in the future.
Vijayvargiya said, "The Chief Minister has sent me and Tulsi Silawat here, we have instructed the Collector and Commissioner to prepare a complete master plan of the institution to develop it. We will upgrade the living standard and improve the food quality there, so that this incident does not happen again."
Five specially-abled kids have died 38 undergoing treatment at Indore's Yugpurush Dham Ashram orphanage suspected to be due to food poisoning from a meal the children ate. This happened on Sunday. You'll hardly see this being reported by the mainstream media and the Star Anchors. pic.twitter.com/b5j0cGVh1O — Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) July 3, 2024
About the Orphanage
Yugpurush Dham Ashram, located in Indore's Malharganj area, has been operating since 2006. Managed by an NGO, the ashram provides a home to over 200 children and teenagers aged between 3 and 18 years, including girls.
These children, who are either orphans or have been abandoned by their families, come from various parts of Madhya Pradesh. Many of them are specially-abled, mostly with mental challenges, and the ashram offers them care and support.
(Inputs from Agencies)
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