In Greater Noida West’s Shahberi village, a 60-year-old man named Vijay Bahadur fell seriously ill after consuming prasad at the Sheetla Devi Temple. He lives with his family in the nearby Sai Upvan Society, about 500 meters from the temple.
Vijay Bahadur regularly attends the morning and evening aarti and usually distributes prasad to children on his way back. However, on Wednesday, after falling sick, he was unable to share it something that, according to villagers, prevented an even bigger tragedy.
Residents of the society said that Vijay Bahadur has been living there on rent for several years and visits the temple daily for worship.
Victim Describes Strange Taste in Prasad
Another affected devotee, Brijlal, shared details of what happened. He said that during the aarti, devotees were given small mishri (sugar crystals) as prasad. He consumed one or two pieces and also gave one piece to his son, Samar. He kept the rest for other family members.
Brijlal said that initially the prasad tasted sweet, but suddenly it felt like eating lime (chuna). Sensing that something was wrong, he asked his son to spit it out. Both of them immediately rinsed their mouths with water.
Soon after, Brijlal developed painful mouth sores. Within minutes, he started vomiting continuously. Several other people who consumed the prasad also fell sick within two to three minutes, with similar symptoms.
Priest Devastated, Calls for Fair Investigation
Temple priest Shiv Kumar is deeply shocked and heartbroken after the incident. He said that prasad is consumed with faith and devotion, but some anti-social elements have committed a shameful act that has hurt the villagers’ religious sentiments.
He demanded a fair and thorough investigation and strict action against whoever is responsible.
Anger and Fear Among Villagers
The incident has created fear and anger among the local residents. Villagers said strict punishment should be given to those who mixed harmful substances in the prasad.
They also mentioned that Wednesday morning had a low turnout due to cold weather and children leaving for school. Fewer women attended the aarti as well. According to villagers, if there had been a larger crowd, the situation could have been much worse.
Villagers have urged authorities to act quickly and ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
