Six members of a family in a small village Miyagani in Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh were hospitalised after they consumed a dish of cannabis instead of fenugreek (methi) vegetable. Police investigations have revealed that it was a vegetable vendor friend of a youth who played a prank by selling cannabis to him instead of methi.

Police have identified the suspect as Naval Kishor who was arrested later by police on charges of illegal possession of cannabis. Kishor’s friend Nitish Om Prakash and his family are stable and undergoing treatment at a hospital.

According to the information given by police, Kishor is a vegetable vendor, and he and Nitish are neighbours. Nitish had gone to buy vegetables on Tuesday afternoon and met Kishor. Nitish asked Kishor to give him dry fenugreek (methi). However, instead of that vegetable, Kishor handed him weed. Nitish went straight to home and handed over the weed to his sister-in-law Pinky who made a curry dish with it for lunch. 

The entire family had lunch on that day after which they started feeling uncomfortable. As their condition worsened, they contacted their neighbours and asked for help. The family fell unconscious. Unable to understand what exactly was happening, neighbours of Nitish’s family dialled the nearest police station for help. On arrival, police immediately shifted the family members to a hospital for treatment.

Police launched an investigation into the matter and started searching Nitish’s house for clues and evidence. They found the packet of weed which was kept in the kitchen and also some leftover curry. This clue led police to Kishor who during the interrogation admitted to having played a prank on Nitish. Police are now investigating Kishor’s connections and from where he had illegally procured cannabis. 

A similar incident was reported in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh in August 2019 when five members of a family fell unconscious after consuming cannabis instead of fenugreek.