Pest control firm staff arrested after two kids die in Kundrathur

CHENNAI: The Kundrathur police on Friday arrested two employees of a private pest control firm following the death of two children at an apartment, hours after the firm had carried out a pest control treatment.

Investigations revealed that the employees -- Dinakaran and Shankar Das -- kept pest control powders in 12 places in a single room, against the norm of covering just three spots.

During their interrogation, the employees said apartment owner Girithar (34) told them that the room would not be used and requested them to keep more powders so they could control the rat quickly.

Police said the firm’s owner Premkumar is absconding and a search is on to nab him. Steps are also on to seal the firm, police added. Meanwhile, the police could not send the bodies of the children for post-mortem as their parents were still in the hospital and they had not been informed regarding the death of their children.

Post mortem can be performed only with the consent of the parents, police said, adding the bodies will have to be taken to the Rajiv Gandhi government general hospital as the procedure has to be done in the present of a forensics expert.

Girithar and his wife Pavithra were parents to the deceased kids Vishalini (6) and Sai Sudhan (4). Girithar is the manager of a private bank in the locality.

The two children died on Thursday after inhaling toxic fumes from the pesticide, and the parents were hospitalised with breathing difficulties.