6 days Ago By Avni Arya
Kheda: Gujarat police have solved the mystery behind three sudden deaths in Nadiad, Kheda district, that was reported earlier in February. What initially appeared to be accidental poisoning or illicit liquor consumption turned out to be a calculated murder plan by a government school teacher seeking to secure a Rs 25 lakh life insurance payout for his family. A Desperate Plan Led by Financial Struggles According to the Kheda police, Harikishan Makwana (44), a teacher struggling financially and grieving over his father’s death, devised a disturbing plan to ensure his family’s financial security.
Since life insurance policies typically do not pay out in cases of suicide, Makwana needed his death to appear accidental. Inspired by a tantric crime he had heard about, where a criminal killed people to rob them, he decided to test poison on others before using it on himself. He purchased sodium nitrite (a fatal chemical) online and began plotting his experiment.
The Deadly Experiment with Poisoned Soda Makwana mixed the toxic sodium nitrite in a local soft drink called Jeera Soda. He chose his speech and hearing-impaired neighbour, Kanubhai, as his first target, believing that if Kanubhai survived, he would be unable to reveal the truth. Unaware of the danger, Kanubhai shared the drink with two others—Yogesh Gangaram Kushwaha and Ravindra Jhinabhai Rathod.
Shortly after consuming the tainted soda, all three fell seriously ill and died on February 9. “The incident caused panic in the area,” says police Rajesh Gadhiya, Superintendent of Police, Kheda, described the situation, "The incident occurred on the evening of 9th February in Nadiad, Kheda district, when three people died simultaneously, causing panic in the area. Initial investigations suggested that a narcotic substance was mixed with Jeera Soda.
Days later, we registered a case of murder, and today we have arrested a government teacher, Harikishan Makwana, in connection with the crime." Uncovering the Truth: A 28-Day Investigation At first, police suspected methanol poisoning—a common cause of death in illicit alcohol cases. However, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report revealed no traces of alcohol.
Instead, tests on the victims’ viscera confirmed the presence of sodium nitrite, a toxic chemical. The investigation eventually led to Harikishan Makwana, who confessed to poisoning his neighbours as a test before staging his own death. Further questioning revealed Makwana’s deep mental distress.
He blamed his father’s death on the stress of legal troubles and worried about securing a financial future for his wife and two children—one of whom is preparing for board exams. His wife, also a government teacher, had previously disposed of a packet of sodium nitrite after discovering his suicidal thoughts. However, Makwana had secretly kept some powder for his deadly experiment.
On February 9, believing that no one would suspect him, he offered the poisoned drink to Kanubhai. Once the truth came to light, the police arrested Harikishan Makwana and pursued further legal action. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Mahakumbh 2025 , Delhi Election, Ahmedabad News, City and around the world.
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