Local seer arrested in connection with Chamarajanagar food poisoning that killed 15; police suspects involvement of 4 others

Bengaluru: Police arrested a local seer on Wednesday in connection with the poisoning of prasad at a temple in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district that killed 15 people. Mahadeshwara Hill Saluru Math seer Pattada Immadi Mahadevaswamy was arrested and “he has a role” in the incident, Additional Superintendent of Police of Chamarajnagar district M S Geetha said.  However, she declined to divulge any other details.

Chamarajanagar SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena: 5 people dead and 72 hospitalised, including 12 in critical condition, after consuming prasad in Chamarajanagar district of #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/z1LIjLMBpu

— ANI (@ANI) December 14, 2018

Police sources said that at least five people, including the seer and a woman, have a direct role in the incident. Officials have so far quizzed 11 people about the 15 December incident, in which more than 120 people fell ill after consuming prasad distributed at Maramma temple in Sulavadi village of Hanur taluk in Chamarajnagar district. On the day of the incident, nine people died, while six others lost their lives over the next four days. Twenty seven people are still in a critical state. Laboratory test has found insecticide in the prasad. Police are suspecting a faction feud within the management of the temple over revenue sharing, which might have led to the poisoning.