11-Year-Old Boy Dies After Drinking Soda Offered By Unidentified School Student

An 11-year-old boy in India died Monday after reportedly consuming a soda offered to him by a school student.

The incident took place in the southern state of Kerala. According to local media reports, the boy had been hospitalized after he consumed the drink, which was believed to have been poisoned.

The victim and the unidentified student studied in the same school, the New Indian Express reported.

The victim, identified by his first name Ashwin, studied at a private school in Athencode. During a celebration ahead of the quarterly holiday in September, Ashwin was offered a soda by one of the school's students.

Initially, Ashwin rejected the offer, but he later consumed the drink when the student started insisting. The same night, Ashwin fell sick and developed a digestive disorder and blisters on his tongue. He also suffered from a fever.

His parents rushed him to a local hospital from where he was moved to a specialized healthcare facility.

Doctors at the private hospital found that Ashwin's digestive tract had been severely damaged. He later suffered from kidney failure and was put on dialysis.

Doctors said that the soda had some acid-like substance in it.

Ashwin had reportedly told his parents the school student, who gave him the drink, was a stranger to him, according to Mathrubhumi.

The local police have registered a case, and are investigating the incident. They are yet to identify the student, who gave the soda to Ashwin.

The school authorities have been questioned.

The police are also checking CCTV footage of the school and nearby areas to identify the suspect in the case.

Last week in the eastern state of Odisha, a 10-year-old boy died after eating a lollipop that was given to him by a grocery shop owner. The victim's parents suspect foul play and filed a complaint. The parents alleged that the child was healthy before consuming the treat. The victim was offered the candy by a shop owner, who had called the boy to his house. After eating the treat, the boy fell sick and later died. However, the exact reason behind the child's death was not known. An autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death.