Mother mixes pesticide in drink to threaten husband; 5-year-old drinks it, dies

ELURU: A five-year-old girl died after she accidentally consumed a soft drink laced with pesticide following a dispute between her parents, at Buttaigudem mandal in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to police, the child's mother Kumari had mixed pesticide in the drink in a bid to threaten her husband Nagendra Babu of suicide during a heated argument.

Unaware of the contamination, the girl, Rithika Sri, consumed the drink. She was rushed to a hospital, but died while undergoing treatment.

According to police, Babu and Kumari, residents of Antarvedigudem village, got married after several years of courtship. But, differences began to crop up, leading to frequent arguments between them.

Girl accidentally consumed toxic beverage in Eluru Kumari, who works as a daily wage labourer in tobacco fields, allegedly brought home some pesticide from the field and poured it into a soft drink bottle.

She had intended to threaten Babu by pretending to consume it, but forgot about the bottle.

On Thursday, Rithika Sri unknowingly drank the poisoned soft drink and died.