Amid police claims of a media-instigated self-poisoning, three more of the 11 disabled people who were hospitalised yesterday in Varanasi after allegedly consuming a substance died today, taking the number of dead to five. Five other are recovering while one Rajesh Chaurasia is battling for his life at the BHU Hospital here.

Varanasi police today arrested two persons — Namo Upadhyay and Ravi Nath alias Ravinder Nath — on the charge of providing poison, and said TV channels Star News and IBN7 are being probed for their role in the incident. Both the channels have also been named in the FIR lodged with Laksha police station.

The five dead have been identified as Rajesh, Tribhuvan, Mangaroo, Guru Deo and Ram Chandra.

The 11 shop owners allegedly consumed a poisonous substance in Gurubagh area of Varanasi on Tuesday in an apparent suicide attempt. Fear of losing their makeshift kisoks to an ongoing anti-encroachment drive by the municipal corporation was said to be the reason but the local police chief, S P Shirodkar, told The Indian Express that the incident might have been instigated by reporters of the two news channels.

Shirodkar, who is Varanasi’s Senior Superintendent of Police, said the police had registered an FIR on the basis of a complaint lodged by one Ram Lal Kesari. The FIR says one tablet each was given to all the physically challenged persons who had gathered at a spot in Gurubagh area to protest the anti-encroachment drive.

Shirodkar had earlier told Express that the shopkeepers were told they were consuming a mild intoxicant and were assured of wide media coverage. “They were also told that they would be unconscious for just three to four hours,” he said.

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