Three convicts die after consuming ‘essence’ while preparing cakes in Mysuru

A file photo of Mysuru Central Prison. None of the convicts had told doctors treating them that they had consumed the essence.

Three persons serving their sentence in Mysuru Central Prison died after allegedly consuming essence used in the preparation of cakes.

The three — Nagaraju, 36, Madesha, 32, and Ramesh, 28 — died at K.R. Hospital, where they were undergoing treatment, according to Chief Superintendent of Mysuru Central Prison, P.S. Ramesh.

While Madesha from Gundlupet, who was serving life sentence for murder, died on Monday, Nagaraju, a native of Kollegal, who was also serving a life sentence for murder, died on Tuesday. Ramesh, who hailed from Hassan, and was serving a 10-year sentence for rape, died on Wednesday.

All the three were deployed in the bakery unit of the Mysuru Central Prison and had reportedly consumed essence used in the preparation of cake on December 24.

When they subsequently took ill, complaining of stomach pain and vomiting, a team of medical officers in the jail treated them. But when their condition did not improve, they were shifted to K.R. Hospital on December 29.

“Unfortunately, none of them disclosed to the doctors that they had consumed essence. Hence, they were being symptomatically treated for stomachache, vomiting and headache,” Mr Ramesh said.

Though doctors were perplexed with their medical parameters and questioned them, none of them had revealed that they had consumed essence while preparing cake, said Mr. Ramesh.

Normally, relatives of jail inmates are alerted whenever they are admitted to hospital. One of them, revealed to a family member that they had consumed essence while preparing the cake and it was informed to doctors treating the convicts.

“Only then did the doctors come to know about it and started treatment in that direction on January 3, but in vain. It is an unfortunate incident,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The bodies will be handed over to relatives after the post-mortem.

Meanwhile, a complaint has been registered at the jurisdictional Mandi police station about the deaths of the convicts. As per the jail manual, a magisterial inquiry is mandatory for every death in jail, said Mr. Ramesh.

The post-mortem report will become part of the investigation to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Madesha had worked in different bakeries for the past eight years and was aware of the ingredients used in making cakes.

Normally, essences are used in small quantities to give flavours of pineapple, orange etc. It is not known in what quantities essence had been consumed and if consumption of essence was the cause of death, according to sources in Mysuru Central Jail.