Rahul Nair (23), who ate shawarma, was in critical condition on a ventilator and died on Wednesday. Rahul, a native of Kottayam, was employed near Kakkanad in Ernakulam. He ordered online and consumed the Arabic halal dish shawarma from Al Hyatt Hotel in Mavelipuram, Kakkanad. At present, the hotel owners are absconding.

Authorities confirmed the presence of Salmonella bacteria in the young man’s blood. The existence of the deadly bacteria was discovered after the blood sample was tested. The police said they would check whether it reached the body through shawarma.

Rahul and his friend ordered the halal food last Wednesday evening. By night, the young man started showing physical discomfort. It soon worsened, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, Rahul succumbed to death on Wednesday at three o’clock in the afternoon.

Rahul suffered a heart attack, and his kidneys failed. He was then transferred to the ventilator. His relatives told the police that Rahul felt health problems after eating shawarma. Following the family’s complaint, Thrikakkara police registered a case and investigated.

Then, Thrikakkara Municipal authorities closed down the Al Hyatt Hotel. Municipal health department authorities claimed they collected ‘samples’ from here, but by then, several days had passed since Rahul had ordered food. Seeking clarification on the incident, the Health Minister has also directed the Director of the Health Department to investigate and submit a report immediately.

Since last Saturday, he has been on a ventilator. Rahul suffered a heart attack when he was taken to the hospital. The young man’s organs were failing due to the infection. Rahul died after suffering another heart attack.

Rahul’s post-mortem was conducted at Kalamassery Medical College, and blood test results were available today. Medical Superintendent Dr. Dr. Thomas Gregory informed that the cause of death will be clear only if both are examined.

Blood samples from Rahul’s heart have also been collected for the test. The investigating officers have demanded that the chemical test results of the internal organs be available within two days. Officials clarified that further steps will be taken after the final report is available.

Botulinum toxin is what makes shawarma a villain. Botulinum toxin is produced by Clostridium bacteria that thrive in undercooked, old, or unclean meat. Food poisoning occurs when stale meat is used or prepared on unsanitary premises.

The question is how Arabic halal food has never caused any danger in Arabian countries and has become a villain in Kerala. Testing is tightened only when there is a problem. Corruption and political interference also play a part in this industry.

Halal Mafia

The halal mafia is well entrenched in and around the IT hubs of Kerala, like Infopark Kakkanad in Ernakulam and Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram. They have ruthlessly and violently eliminated non-halal eateries.

In October 2021, HinduPost reported how Islamists assaulted Thushara Ajith Kallayil, a woman entrepreneur in Ernakulam, for selling non-halal meat, including pork. That incident occurred at Kakkanad. Though many Hindu organizations came to support her, her cries for help were soon forgotten.

Most of these halal hotels allegedly use maggot-infested ‘Tsunami Chicken.’ Tsunami chickens are those birds that die of diseases but are sold from bird farms. Allegedly, the halal mafia procures them at a low price. Authorities not checking whether it is dead or slaughtered helps this mafia. In Kerala, a significant chunk of the Arabic food industry allegedly thrives on this illegal trade.

HinduPost has reported how such diseased, dead chickens are allegedly transported to Kerala, mainly from Tamil Nadu. On 12 January, around 500 kg of rotten ‘Tsunami chicken’ kept for distribution to halal hotels was seized from Ernakulam. On 8 February, 350 kg of stale halal beef was seized from a meat shop near North Paravoor in Ernakulam. 

Rasmi Rajan (33), a young Hindu lady undergoing treatment for food poisoning at Kottayam Medical College, died on 2 January. In late December last year, Khyati Singh, daughter of Jain Singh, a native of Telangana employed at the prestigious National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Kunnamangalam, Kozhikode, succumbed to food poisoning after consuming Arabic food. 

Incidentally, all the victims of food poisoning from consuming Arabic halal food in Kerala are non-Muslims. It is alleged that rotten meat is sold only to Hindus and Christians. Pre-paid online orders make it easy for hotel owners to recognize customers. A heady mix of political Islam, halal economics, and local politicians poison non-Muslims. Until Hindus reject such stale food, the body count will continue to rise.