Shop owner’s brother admits poisoning sweets that killed 24 in Layyah

LAYYAH: The mysterious case of 24 deaths through toxic sweets ended on Thursday when the younger brother of the shop owner confessed to have mixed pesticide in sweets dispatched to a house where birthday celebrations were going on.

The accused Khalid Mahmood confessed to have mixed pesticide in sweets after he had a fight with his elder brother, police said.

Police recovered the bottle of pesticide.

The incident took place in April  when Umar Hayat, a resident of Chak 105/TDA brought sweets from a nearby sweet shop located at Chowk 111 to celebrate the birth of his grandson. After eating toxic sweets five persons died on the spot while several others fell unconscious.

The deceased and fainted persons were rushed to a local hospital for medico legal formalities and treatment.

The 24 persons who died after eating the sweets include eight from the same family.