Woman Dies Of Mysterious Illness In Palamu; Toll Mounts To Six
Five members of the same family died of the illness between June 19 and 26, while another critically ill person is undergoing treatment at RIMS.
Published : July 8, 2026 at 2:45 PM IST
Palamu: A woman died of a mysterious illness in Sikka village under the Padwa block of Jharkhand's Palamu, taking the total toll in the family to six.
The incident took place on Tuesday night at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, and the deceased has been identified as Lakho Devi, wife of Kuldeep Mehta. Another family member is undergoing treatment at RIMS, and his condition is said to be critical.
Kuldeep, the first victim of the mysterious illness, died on June 19. Subsequently, his daughter Babita Kumari died the next day, followed by another daughter, Indu Kumari, on June 26, daughter-in-law Shweta Kumari on June 28, and son Nakul Mehta on June 29.
Shravan Kumar, the medical officer of Patan, confirmed the death, saying that the health department is monitoring the situation across the village.
"A survey has been conducted, and no other person outside this specific family has been found with this specific illness. However, another survey will be carried out. Everyone is awaiting the viscera report regarding these deaths, as the exact cause of the incident will be clear once it's available," he added.
Notably, after assessing the health condition and diagnostic tests of the family members, the health department had concluded that the entire family is suffering from dropsy.
This is the first reported case of dropsy in the country since 2011. Investigations also revealed that the mustard oil used by the family was adulterated with Argemone Mexicana, which was confirmed by the Food Testing Laboratory in Ranchi.
Argemone mexicana is a thorny weed found abundantly in the Palamu region. It is commonly known as Kataila or Peela Dhatura. The Food Testing Laboratory said Argemone oil is used for treating animals and is extremely hazardous to health.
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