Residents of Devarakota village, where two children died after consuming suspected poisonous chocolates in the district on Tuesday, said that a stranger gave those chocolates to the boy.
The boy and his sister -- V. Sai Srinivas and V. Deepika – died after consuming a chocolate each. However, eye witnesses said that the boy purchased chocolates from a local shop. Police collected the samples of the chocolates from where the boy purchased them and sent them to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Hyderabad, for examination, said Ghantasala SI L. Venkateswara Rao.
Locals said that an unidentified person gave chocolates to Sai Srinivas while returning from school. The victims’ mother Swathi prepared egg curry and served the dish to the two children. We put the same curry to dogs and hen in the village, but they were alive, said the villagers.
“The siblings became drowsy and fell unconscious after eating some chocolates offered by a stranger. Even the lips and nails of the children turned green after some time,” said Devarakota sarpanch D. Balaram.
Meanwhile, a pall of gloom descended on the village on Wednesday. Sai Srinivas was studying in Mandal Parishad Primary School, while Deepika was a student of an anganwadi centre.
“Deepika was very active,” recalled anganwadi teacher P.K.B. Lakshmi. Challapalli Circle-Inspector K. Bala Raju said that the cause of the deaths would be known after the FSL report comes.
Police are probing the case in all angles, including the family disputes, if any, he said.
