Ten-Year-Old Girl Dies After Eating Her Birthday Cake In Punjab; Investigation On

Patiala (Punjab), 31st March 2024: In a perplexing turn of events, the investigation into the death of a 10-year-old girl who reportedly succumbed to eating cake on her birthday has taken a new twist. Authorities have registered a case against an individual identified as Cake Kanha, purportedly located at Adalat Bazar, Patiala. However, upon further scrutiny, it was revealed that no such shop exists at the specified address. Instead, the location corresponds to a shop known as India Bakery.

Gurpreet, the proprietor of India Bakery, vehemently denied any involvement in the incident, stating that neither had any cake been purchased from his establishment in Aman Nagar nor did he have any association with the tragic event. However, it was disclosed that the family of the deceased, Manvi, had placed an online order for a cake from the shop on the Saturday preceding the incident, leading to the identification of this particular bakery.

Ten-Year-Old Girl #Dies After Eating Her #BirthdayCake In #Punjab; Investigation On
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— Punekar News (@punekarnews) March 31, 2024

According to her grandfather, the celebration turned into a nightmare as Manvi and her sister started vomiting shortly after eating the cake. Manvi expressed extreme thirst and complained of dryness in her mouth before retiring to bed. The family noticed her condition worsening overnight, prompting them to rush her to the hospital the next morning. However, she could not be saved.

A video of Manvi celebrating the birthday and collapsing after eating the cake has gone viral on social media.

Despite the passage of six days since the incident, no arrests have been made. Gurpreet, the shop owner, asserted that while he did receive a cake order on Saturday, the one dispatched on March 24 had not left his premises. This raises suspicions regarding the involvement of the shopkeeper in the matter. Meanwhile, the Anaj Mandi police station has yet to arrest any suspects, although they have confiscated a piece of cake from the family for further investigation.

Furthermore, glaring negligence on the part of the health department has been brought to light. Despite being informed of the situation by the family on March 26, the Civil Surgeon Department failed to conduct sampling at the shop even after six days. Additionally, the department declined to collect a cake sample from the family members, citing unsuitability. The department’s lack of data on local bakeries and home-based confectioneries further underscores their dereliction of duty.

Dr. Raminder Kaur, the Civil Surgeon of Patiala, has announced that sampling will be carried out on Monday, with instructions issued to the District Health Officer to oversee the process. Concurrently, efforts are underway to compile comprehensive data on all entities involved in the production of baked goods within the city limits. Dr. Kaur, who is set to retire on March 31, has assured that her successor will take appropriate action based on the findings of this investigation.

ASI Pavitra Singh of the Anaj Mandi police station has confirmed the confiscation of a cake piece from the family, which will undergo testing at a lab in Kharar on Monday.

Meanwhile, the maternal grandfather of the deceased, Harbans Lal, has expressed confidence in the ongoing police investigation despite allegations of the shopkeeper attempting to evade accountability by altering the shop’s name.