Tshering Namgyal | Mongar

Lhuentse police detained a 66-year old man from Khoma gewog in Lhuentse for allegedly poisoning an 84-year-old woman from Serphu village on April 10.

The woman died after drinking Cocacola juice the suspect sent to his wife, a 53-year-old woman but the wife shared the juice with the deceased and her grandchildren.

Sources in Lhuentse said the juice was mixed with ectoparasiticide, a drug used to kill fleas and ticks in animals.

The man, who lives in Khema village, sent the juice through a neighbour. Serphu village is an hour’s walk away from Khema.

The neighbour handed the juice to the wife, who was weaving cloth, around 5pm. After drinking a few sips, she shared the juice with a neighbor’s 10-year-old daughter who came to her house. The girl took the juice home and shared with her 16-year-old sister and 84-year-old grandmother.

After the four fell sick, family members called the hospital and they were brought to Lhuentse hospital in an ambulance.

The deceased died an hour and half after she was admitted at the hospital.

The wife and neighbour’s two daughters were reported to be in stable condition as of yesterday.

Health officials said all the patients were treated with activated charcoal on the way as well as after reaching the hospital, which helped them to vomit and reduce the impact of poison.

“We tried to save the deceased but she was in critical condition. She collapsed three times on the way to the hospital,” a health official said. “She was a heart patient.”

The suspect told police that he sent the poison to his wife since they were not in good terms.

Livestock officials said ectoparasiticide is highly concentrated and they usually dilute it with water.