A young lady undergoing treatment for food poisoning at Kottayam Medical College died around 7 pm on 2 January. Rasmi Rajan (33), a native of Kottayam Kiliroor, was a nursing officer at Kottayam Medical College Hospital. 

It was on 29 December that Rasmi reportedly consumed Alfahm bought from Malappuram Kuzhimandi restaurant. Alfahm is Arabic grilled chicken, and Malappuram restaurant is at Samkranti Junction, right in the middle of Kottayam town. At least 29 people, including Rasmi, who ate food here, sought treatment for food poisoning.

Rasmi ordered the food and the delivery boy brought it to the Medical College Nursing Hostel. Her brother Vishnuraj was among the 26 others who ate from this hotel and got food poisoning. Rasmi had vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming the food. She was then admitted to the Kottayam Medical College Hospital by her colleagues.

Suspiciously, even before nursing officer Rasmi died of food poisoning, the media claimed that she had severe health problems. The whitewashing of the halal hotel’s crimes had just begun. 

Resmi’s condition worsened, and the infection affected her kidneys and liver. She was put on a ventilator and underwent dialysis but to no avail. She died at seven o’clock on Monday night. Kottayam municipal authorities suspended the license of the hotel and closed the shop. 

Following the incident, Gandhinagar police registered a case of unnatural death and launched an investigation. Medical college authorities claimed that the cause of death would be revealed only after a detailed post-mortem examination. 

As per the preliminary investigation of the health department, the woman suffered food poisoning from the mayonnaise served with Alfahm. Allegedly this was done to deflect public attention from the widespread use of ‘Tsunami Chicken’ by halal restaurants in Kerala. 

Tsunami Chicken is dead maggot-infested meat being rampantly brought in from places like Dindigul. It costs half the price of fresh meat, and hotels use it for preparing everything from cutlets to Alfahm. They then mercilessly sell such food to women and even children.

Suspiciously, most victims of food poisoning from hotel food are non-Muslims. There are allegations that halal eateries serve different meat for Muslims.

Trucks and trains transport the meat in unhygienic conditions using thermocol boxes filled with ice. What remains of the ice after a ten to 12-hour journey is anybody’s guess. Allegedly, the Halal mafia has representatives in vital official positions who know exactly who and when to grease palms. When cornered, they also resort to violent tactics. 

DYFI activists (militant youth wing of the CPM) marched to the hotel and vandalized the hotel. These goons destroyed a few potted plants and the hotel’s signboard. They took special care to dismantle the CCTV cameras, eliminating crucial evidence. Local police remained mute spectators. Active participation in DYFI violence is a mandatory prelude to top political positions in Kerala. 

As a face-saving measure, Kottayam Municipal Chairperson Bincy Sebastian suspended Health Supervisor M R Sanu pending investigation. Sebastian cited a severe lapse on Sanu’s part in inspecting the quality of food served in the hotel.

Malappuram Kuzhimandi restaurant is infamous for poisoning citizens. Corrupt politicians/officials allowed them to continue even after several such cases were reported against this particular eatery. 

The municipal health department inspected the hotel on 15 November following the outbreak of food poisoning. In addition to the small kitchen in the hotel, it was found that the central kitchen was functioning at Gandhinagar Medical College Road. The officials clarified that this could not be allowed and issued a notice to the hotel asking them to unite the kitchen within ten days. 

Along with this, other deficiencies found were suggested to be rectified. On the fifth day after the hotel was closed, the municipal council permitted the hotel to clean and open it. Still, on the second inspection, it was found that the hotel’s kitchen was operating without a license. The municipal chairperson claimed that Sanu threatened to commit suicide in front of her when she asked for an explanation for opening the hotel.

A month ago, people who ate at this hotel had food poisoning. On that day, the municipality issued a notice to the hotel. But later, the hotel continued to operate again. It is now clear that the role of municipal officials is behind this. Sebastian alleged that she instructed Sanu to take necessary action, but he conspired with the hotel management and allowed it to function.

Meanwhile, Left-wing organizations under the aegis of Kerala Municipal and Corporation Staff Union (KMCSU) staged a protest in front of the municipality, alleging that Sanu’s suspension was politically motivated. The protesters accused the Congress-led municipal council of turning a blind eye to the eateries that function without meeting the basic hygiene norms. Sanu was a comrade who conspired to allow the eatery to function. 

After Reshmi’s death, Gandhinagar police station received several complaints against the halal hotel. Currently, the police have received six complaints in writing regarding food poisoning. Social media, too, is awash with the atrocities committed by Malappuram Kuzhimandi restaurant.

Gandhinagar police received several complaints by phone. The police said that the residents of Kozhikode, living in Bengaluru, who had suffered physical problems after eating from the hotel during a journey, had complained about the eatery over the phone.

This time around, 29 people sought treatment for food poisoning, including private hospitals. But Kottayam police registered just one case against the hotel in the incident. Locals say that earlier it was the Congress councillor of the area who intervened and gave permission to reopen the hotel, which had been closed six months ago following a food poisoning outbreak.

Rather shamelessly, local Congress MLA Thiruvanjoor Radhakrishnan demanded that the state pay a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased Rasmi. He added that not even one person could be arrested in connection with the death and that the culprits should be identified and action taken. It is alleged that in that case, Radhakrishnan, too, should be arrested. 

He also opined that the food security department of the state is a complete failure. Incidentally, Veena George, Kerala Minister for Health, represents the Aranmula constituency of Pathanamthitta district, just 40 km from where Resmi died. 

Radhakrishnan said that the health minister should clarify the number of accredited microbiology labs in Kerala. The former minister also alleged that the government did not respond to Rasmi’s death. The crores annually allocated by the central government for the state food security department have not been utilized in the last three years. 

According to Randeep C R, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety Department, an investigation is progressing in connection with the incident, and further action will be taken against the restaurant based on its outcome. Such statements did nothing to build public confidence. 

“We have already initiated a case under Section 174 of the CrPC (when there is doubt regarding the cause of death). We will initiate further charges based on the autopsy report,” said K Karthik, district police chief. With such minor charges of severe crimes, the outcome is anybody’s guess. 

Meanwhile, Rasmi’s body was taken to her residence on Tuesday at noon, and her last rites were performed in the evening. The deceased is the wife of Vinod Kumar of Thiruvananthapuram. They got married just four months back. Her relatives cried inconsolably when the body of the young victim reached home.

In a knee-jerk reaction a day after the death of a young nurse in Kottayam due to suspected food poisoning, the food safety department raided over 429 eateries across the state on Tuesday. Forty-three were asked to down shutters. Twenty-two were operating in unhygienic conditions, and 21 had no food license. 

The officials served notices on 138 shops for not maintaining basic standards. Samples from 44 shops were collected for further testing. These figures showed that half of all eateries in Kerala sell filthy food unfit for human consumption. To gauge the depth of the issue, there are an estimated one lakh halal eateries in Kerala. 

Last heard, Rasmi’s brother Vishnu Raj alleged that the police did not record her death due to food poisoning in the FIR. It is mentioned as due to physical illness. Kerala police claimed that Rasmi’s internal organs should be analyzed to confirm that she suffered from food poisoning. This led to allegations that the authorities were trying to protect someone.

Even though the police, the health department, municipal authorities, and politicians have cried foul, nobody reported the hotel owner’s name. He or she is yet to be identified and arrested. A heady mix of political Islam, halal economics and local politicians are slowly but surely poisoning non-Muslims. 

Banned terrorist organizations like the Popular Front of India have used halal hotels to further their cause, and make money at the expense of public health. Along with bribery, it is believed that fear of arms or necks being chopped off dissuades both authorities and ordinary citizens from acting against these shady food joints. Incidentally, Newman college, where radical Islamists chopped off Professor Joseph’s arms, is just 50 km from Kottayam. Until and unless the halal monopoly is ended and halal food trade strictly regulated, the food poisoning menace seems likely to continue.