18-Month-Old Baby Dies, 4 Others Hospitalized After Drinking Poisoned Tea Given By Family Member

An 18-month-old baby died and four others, including a 3-year-old girl, were hospitalized after drinking tea laced with poison Monday. The incident took place in Bahraich, a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Police said a woman, identified as Ankita Jaiswal, gave the poisoned tea to five members of her husband's family as she did not want to live with them. ​

"Ankita Jaiswal did not want to live with her husband or at her in-laws. That is why in order to get rid of them she poisoned the tea on Monday morning. While the husband left without drinking the tea, her brother-in-law Jitendra, father-in-law Pancham, her husband's cousin sister Shivani and Jitendra's daughter Srishti fell ill after consuming tea. Her sister-in-law's 18-month-old son died," a senior police officer, K Gyananjay Singh, was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

The accused got married to Pooran Jaiswal last December, but she soon returned to her parents' house. On Sunday, she went back to her in-law's house and had brought the poisonous substance with her. There was a family gathering at the house Monday, police said.

The woman has been arrested.

"The sample of the served tea has been sent for forensic analysis. The reason behind the entire episode is a matter of investigation," Singh added.

The condition of those who were hospitalized remains unknown. Police are awaiting the autopsy results of the 18-month-old baby.

In a complaint, Jitendra alleged that his sister-in-law was having an affair with someone who lived near her parents' house, which was why she wanted to get rid of the family.

Officers said they were investigating the exact motive for the crime and were looking at all possible angles.