GP chief cheated death at Sulvadi

Martalli Gram Panchayat president Savithri Bai cheated death by a whisker after consuming the prasada laced with poison at Sulvadi village, Hanur taluk, on December 14.

Savithri said that when they were offered the prasada, served during the Maramma temple ceremony, they thought it was camphor that had added a peculiar taste to the vegetable bhath.

Savithri and her husband Govinda Nayaka were discharged on Friday and they returned home from the hospital after a week-long treatment.

Narrating her trauma, Savithri said, as she was suffering from fever and her husband was recuperating from typhoid, they had consumed very little prasada. After a few minutes, they vomitted and were admitted to Shanthaveri Gopalagowda Hospital in Mysuru and treated at the ICU for five days. Incidentally, Ambika and Madesh the two accused in the temple poison case, were her tenants.

Unconscious for 2 days

Savithri said, “Ambika had come home and invited us to attend the ritual on December 14. As I am Gram Panchayat president, I attended the event with my husband and was the first to receive the prasada after the function. As we were not well, we just ate a little. But, as soon as we returned home, we vomitted and remained unconscious for two days in the hospital in Mysuru. Both Ambika and Madesh were on good terms with us and were our tenants. They were with us when we were eating the prasada, but made no effort to stop us from consuming it,” she said.