Mishri died due to septicaemia: PM report

SLUG: Chandkheda deaths

Ahmedabad: One of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the deaths of two sisters in Chandkheda earlier this year may now have a medical explanation. Police said the post-mortem report of four-year-old Mishri Prajapati concluded that she died due to cardio-respiratory failure caused by septicaemia. Mishri and her three-month-old sister Raha had died a day apart in April under circumstances that initially raised suspicions of possible food poisoning or other foul play.

Investigators said the post-mortem report concluded that Mishri died due to “cardiorespiratory failure due to septicaemia caused by the bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii found in her body”. The report also noted that “lung oedema was found” during the examination.

Police officials said Mishri’s death had been registered under accidental death procedures pending medical opinion, and the latest findings now provide a clearer picture of the cause.

According to investigators, septicaemia, commonly known as blood poisoning, is a serious bloodstream infection that can trigger organ failure and severe complications if untreated. The report specifically mentioned the presence of Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacteria often associated with hospital-acquired infections and severe respiratory or bloodstream illnesses.

Police officials said that further inquiry will now be conducted based on the post-mortem note and related medical evidence. Statements, treatment history and other relevant aspects may be examined as part of the next stage of investigation.

The case had drawn considerable public attention in April after speculations arose that the two sisters had died after consuming dosas made from batter bought from a store nearby. Their parents, Vimal Prajapati and Bhavna Prajapati, had also fallen ill around the same time and were hospitalised, according to police records. However, police investigation ruled this out after no other customer who bought batter from the same shop that day reported falling ill. The cops also said they were not ruling out slow or passive infanticide.

As rumours swirled, the children’s father, Vimal Prajapati, publicly appealed against premature conclusions and insisted that neither he nor his family was involved in the deaths. In media interviews that later circulated widely on X, he had said he himself informed police and requested post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause of death. “I am in deep grief and regret that I could not save my daughters,” he had said during one such interview.

Police have not yet publicly disclosed the final forensic findings regarding the death of the younger child, Raha.