A waitress has been charged with criminal conspiracy and causing harm by poisoning after a group of customers suffered mouth burns from mistakenly ingesting dry ice served as a mouth freshener at a restaurant in Sector 90.
Last Saturday, three couples visited the restaurant to celebrate a birthday. Following their meal, the waitress offered them mouth fresheners, but instead served dry ice granules, causing burns to their tongues and palates, according to police and the restaurant. The victims were immediately referred to a private hospital.
Ankit, the complainant, recounted the incident, stating, ‘After dinner, we were about to leave when the waitress offered translucent granules in a bowl, claiming they were mouth fresheners. I refrained from taking one as I was attending to my one-year-old baby.’ He described how the others experienced a burning sensation upon ingesting the granules, leading to vomiting and bleeding. Despite seeking assistance from restaurant staff, they received no aid until police arrived 40 minutes later.
Video footage captured one woman spitting out blood while using a large piece of ice, with three others seen gesturing, presumably attempting to remove the burning sensation. Ankit consulted a doctor who confirmed the substance as dry ice. Police stated that initial investigations suggest the waitress ‘mistook’ the dry ice for a mouth refreshment.
Inspector Manoj stated, ‘It appears that the waitress mistakenly handed out dry ice instead of mouth fresheners to the victims. We have seized samples of the dry ice for forensic analysis to determine why it was kept at the restaurant and how the waitress confused it with a refreshment item.’ An FIR was filed against the waitress under IPC sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) at Kherki Daula police station on Sunday.
Gagan, the manager of Laforestta Café, acknowledged the error, stating, ‘The waitress made a mistake. We use dry ice for food preservation and are fully cooperating with the authorities.’ Dry ice, a solidified form of carbon dioxide, poses serious risks if consumed, causing burns to the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, and potentially resulting in stomach rupture in severe cases. Restaurants and bars often use dry ice for presentation purposes, as it emits vapors and helps maintain food temperature.
