Vijayawada: On June 28, a 17-year-old girl named Karishma died under suspicious circumstances at a madrasa in Ajit Singh Nagar, Vijayawada. Her death has ignited significant controversy and unrest in the region. The girl's parents have raised concerns of foul play, citing visible injuries on her body and the delay in notifying them about the incident. Conversely, the madrasa administration has attributed her death to food poisoning.
Karishma, originally from Angaluru village near Gudivada in Krishna district, had been studying Arabic and Urdu at the madrasa for the past year. On the day of the incident, she reportedly fainted and was taken to the Government General Hospital (GGH), where she was declared dead. The madrasa, operated by Syed Shahid Parveez under the Niswan Educational and Charitable Trust, is now at the center of the investigation.
The police have registered a case of suspicious death under Section 174 of the CrPC and transferred the body to the GGH mortuary for post-mortem examination. An investigating officer stated, “We have filed a case of suspicious death, and the body was handed over to the family following the post-mortem. The investigation is ongoing.”
Karishma’s parents, Shaikh Mastan Bi and Maabu Subhani, have protested at the madrasa and the GGH mortuary, demanding a thorough investigation. Mastan Bi refuted the madrasa's claim of food poisoning, asserting that Karishma had been in good health and had not shown any signs of illness prior to her death.
In response to the incident, local authorities, including Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials, and police, visited the madrasa to investigate. The madrasa houses 66 students from various districts, including Guntur, Khammam, Krishna, and Eluru.
While the madrasa officials maintained that Karishma’s death was due to food poisoning, local authorities found no evidence supporting this claim. Reports indicated that around eight other students also suffered from food poisoning and were taken to the hospital. According to Andhra Jyothi, the madrasa was operating without official permission, as confirmed by NTR District Education Officer (DEO) UV Subba Rao. District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr. M. Suhasini reported that the other affected students were in stable condition.
Ajit Singh Nagar Circle Inspector Guru Prakash stated that the cause of Karishma’s death remains undetermined pending the RFSL report. The body was released to the family after the post-mortem. Additionally, officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted a raid at the madrasa, discovering around 100 kilograms of rotting meat in a freezer. The meat samples have been sent for laboratory testing.
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