Mouth fresheners are now being laced with poison?
In a shocking incident at one of the most renowned cafes of Gurugram, “LaForestta Cafe cum Bar”, more than a few guests had to be rushed to nearby hospitals with an acute case of food poisoning, after vomiting blood.
How was the Crime Carried Out?
As per the complaint registered and news surfaced, a group of five friends who were severely infected reported that their mouths started bleeding internally and the skin torn and cut after they took mouth fresheners offered to them from the restaurant.
On survey and analysis, it has been revealed that the mouth fresheners were laced with dry ice which caused severe reactions in the human bodies.
What is Dry Ice?
Dry ice is nothing but a solid blob of carbon dioxide. The name stands for itself because it goes from solid to gaseous state without first converting itself to its liquid phase.
Dry ice is a highly efficient and useful product when it comes to accelerating plant growth, being the solid form of carbon dioxide, it increases the rate of growth in plants. It is also highly effective in asphalt cooling as well.
However, dry ice is also the next deadliest substance to exist if not handled with care, as it is the solid form of one of the most notorious gases it could turn out to be dangerous for small spaces that don’t have sufficient ventilation. Dry ice can often melt and turn back to its gaseous state and would barely take a second to fill the room with carbon dioxide. If more than subtle amounts of carbon dioxide are present then it would tend to be sufficient to take down a person and could even kill them.
What is vital to note here is that dry ice should never be consumed and at certain temperatures even holding dry ice could be life threatening as well. Dry ice could burn your mouth, damage your esophagus, and even hamper the acidic reactions occurring in your stomach, playing around with its rate of reactions.
The sublimation process could rupture the tissues of your stomach and make you bleed internally within a very short time.
At a temperature of 109.3 degrees Fahrenheit, the contact of dry ice with your skin could burn your skin or even cause frostbites which are extremely painful. Preserving or cooling food, and beverages using dry ice are safe only till the extent that the ice is safely stored or kept at a distance from them and have been observed to not get mixed. The rate at which solid carbon dioxide increases the acidic reactions could cause extreme pain and even be life-threatening for most human beings.
Are Gurugram Cafes Safe for Dining?
As per investigation reports a raid was carried out soon after the guests sensed something wrong at the restaurant.
The 30-year-old manager ‘Gagandeep’ a resident of Delhi was arrested by the officials after the analysis of the raid revealed controversial results the hotel owner ‘Mr Amritpal Singh’ is on the run and on the radar of the officials the investigating officer revealed to the news.
The officer further revealed that on reaching the crime scene both entry and exit points were locked from the inside and on preliminary interrogation the main accused; the manager informed them that it was the negligence of the staff that the mouth fresheners got mixed with dry ice. It has been reported that the conditions of all the five customers who had been admitted were discharged after an overnight stay and their conditions were reportedly stable.
The investigating team and officers sealed the restaurant and took the ice to analyze it for its adverse reactions and also to delve deeper to seek justice. Gurugram Police have reported registering a case under Section 328 and Section 120B of the Indian Penal Code after the lodging of the FIR by the five customers.
The Victims Narrate the Tale
The incident occurred sometime around 9:30 on the second of March. Ankit Kumar and his wife (Neha Saberwal) along with his buddies and their respective partners namely Manik Goinka and Preetika also Deepal Arora and his wife Himani together visited the restaurant.
After a hearty meal, they were offered mouth fresheners individually by the staff which soon led to discomfort and uneasiness as soon as they had it. The discomfort and roughness of the ambiance rose to such an extent that they sought help from the police and were sent to the hospital where they were diagnosed to be poisoned by the lethal substance carbon dioxide.
Ankit Kumar and his friends were accompanied by their children and they alleged the staff to be nonchalant and ruthless. In a meeting with the officials, Ankit stated that even though the staff and the employees present at the restaurant could see the deterioration of Ankit and his friends they seemed to pretend to be unaware of it and continued with their antics without paying any heed to them. When one of their buddies got severely sick, they rushed to Aarvy Hospital in Sector 90 which was closest to the restaurant and possible for them.
The hospital doctors confirmed the allegations and currently a thorough investigation is underway based on the sections filed against the restaurant. The negligence and safety issue spurred a severe reaction all over Gurugram and worldwide.
