5-Year-Old Girl's Death After Consuming Cough Syrup Sparks Concerns In Gujarat, Probe Underway

The death of a five-year-old Dhyani Thakkar after being administered a cold-and-cough syrup has sparked concerns in Gujarat, with her aunt flagging concerns over her sudden death and demanding justice.

Police said the victim was being raised by her grandparents and relatives as her parents had passed away.

In the complaint, the family said Dhyani was given the cough syrup bought from a medical store by her uncle. However, after consuming the medicine, her condition allegedly worsened. She was then rushed from one hospital to another, but before treatment could even begin, Dhyani was declared dead.

According to The New Indian Express, the tragedy took a darker turn when her aunt, Rupal Patel, raised serious suspicions and halted the last rites.

“I received a call around 8 am saying Dhyani’s health was very bad and that I should come to Vadodara,” Rupal told the media.

She further said: “Even before I could reach, another call came stating she had died. When we arrived, preparations for the last rites had already begun. That’s when we became suspicious and immediately called the police. We demanded a postmortem. Now, we are waiting for the report.”

“Something strange has happened to this child. Whether it was a side effect of the medicine or something else, this must be investigated. I have serious doubts about the quality and effectiveness of the syrup brought from the medical store. We want justice,” she added.

Meanwhile, the grandparents rejected the allegations. Her grandmother, Anju Ben Thakkar, broke down while defending the family. “She was our own daughter,” she said. “We raised her, educated her, cared for her in every possible way. Why would we ever harm her? I am her grandmother.”

She also claimed possibility of a long-standing family dispute, alleging that the maternal aunt’s accusations may be linked with property issues.

“Her aunt had earlier taken the girls after a fight,” Anju Ben claimed. “After a few days, she sent Dhyani back, saying the elder girl had fractured her leg while playing. We never forced her to bring the child back.”

She rejected allegations of poisoning and said: “Dhyani had a common cold and cough. We gave her a normal syrup. How can anyone say we gave her the medicine to kill her?”

The New Indian Express quoted the grandmother stating: “When the postmortem was going on, her aunt threatened me. She said if we don’t register all property in the child’s name, she will drag us to the police station.”

Meanwhile, the girl’s uncle, Shailesh Thakkar, the crisis began early morning. “Around 6:30 to 7:45 am, my mother woke me up,” he said. “We rushed her to Shreeji Hospital. The doctors expressed suspicion and advised us to go elsewhere. We went to Ankur Hospital, but the doctor wasn’t available. Finally, at Kashiba Hospital, doctors declared her dead.”

The New Indian Express quoted the police saying postmortem report will confirm whether the child died due to a drug reaction, medical negligence, or other reasons.