The real hero: How Dr Rama Tarak Nath blew lid off UK-based pharmacist’s arsenic plot in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A few days ago, UK-based Hyderabad pharmacist M Ajith Kumar hatched a plan to kill his estranged wife and her family members by poisoning them with arsenic-laced salt and chili powder. Six persons, including his friends, were arrested, while the 45-year-old pharmacist is on the run.

While the family members thought it was a health problem that was troubling them, a diagnosis by Guntur-based Neurologist Dr V Rama Tarak Nath, blew the lid off the murder plot by a pharmacist.

The whole conspiracy was unearthed when Kavitha (name changed), wife of victims's brother, the newly wed visited Dr Tarak Nath, at Amaravati Hospital in Guntur. She was suffering from severe burning and tingling sensation and numbness in her hands and feet.

The Story:

The main accused Ajith hatched a plan to kill his estranged wife and her family members by poisoning them with arsenic-laced salt and chili powder. The pharmacist bore a grudge against his wife, who filed for divorce following marital disputes.

In June, she visited India for her brother's wedding. After the marriage, all of the family fell ill with gastroenteritis. They had stomach cramps, dragging discomfort in their legs and hands. They visited corporate hospitals in Hyderabad. Her mother developed a weakness in her limbs.

Her mother's health deteriorated further, and was admitted to a corporate hospital. She was diagnosed with Gillian Barre Syndrome, in which paralysis of both arms and legs occurs. Her daughter Raveena came back from the U.K. to take care of her. She got stabilized over a few days and was shifted to a room in the hospital. However, she suddenly died in the room. The doctors thought that it could be a pulmonary embolism, a sudden clot in the lungs.

Story twist

The conspiracy unfolded when the whole family got together in Miyapur for the 10th-day ceremony. Surprisingly, all of them fell sick again. They went to another corporate hospital and were treated for gastroenteritis. The water in their flats was examined and found to have E. coli, a bacterial pathogen. They were treated and sent home. Raveena left for the UK, Shekar to the U.S. and Kavitha went back to Narasaraopet, Guntur.

"At this time, my patient who is newlywed complained of severe neural pains in her limbs. Initially, I presumed it to be an infection but it cannot happen similarly to all the family members. I noticed inconspicuous white lines on the nails. These are called Mee's Lines. They are the diagnostic features of poisoning from arsenic, the King of poisons," said Dr. Tarak Nath speaking to NewsMeter.

The doctor got his patient tested for arsenic. He also asked her family members to get tested for arsenic. The reports showed that they all had huge arsenic levels in their body.

"I have seen two similar cases 30 years ago, while I was doctorate of medicine training in New Delhi. But they were not cases of criminal conspiracy. I suspected a patient but it was not a confirmed case. In those days, we had no facilities. But now we have all facilities and collection centers available," said Dr Tarak Nath who had 37 experience in his field. He earlier worked as Assistant Professor in n Nephrology department at National Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad.

Why was the conspiracy planned?

The pharmacist bore a grudge against his wife, who filed for divorce following marital disputes. The complainant's marriage was solemnized with the pharmacist in 2018 and it was the second wedding for both of them.

After marriage, the couple stayed in the city. Later, her husband started mentally harassing her. He left for the UK and told his wife to come after also. He even promised to take care of her.

The complainant went to the UK. But within days of her arrival, he again started harassing her both physically and mentally. Later she lodged a police complaint against her husband in the UK. The woman moved out of her husband's place and stayed separately as she sent a divorce notice to him.

Six arrested

Based on the complaint filed by the woman at Miyapur police station, a case of murder, attempt to murder, and criminal conspiracy under relevant sections of IPC was registered. Six persons, including his friends and his wife's cousin, were arrested on August 18, while the pharmacist is on the run.

The other accused include D. Vinod Kumar, Y. Bhavani Shankar, Bathula Ashok, Basiraju Gopinath, Purnendhar Rao, and Ramesh (son of Venkat Ramana, who worked as a watchman in the apartment where the victims were staying).

Investigation revealed that her husband had sent his friends, and with the help of her cousin, they mixed arsenic in salt and chili powder in the victim's house. The main accused Ajith who is a pharmacist understood Arsenic as a poison, guided the disgruntled relative of the family to connive with the watchman’s son and a few others to wipe out the entire family of his wife.