The Kadakkal police on Monday arrested Vishnu, a resident of Charipparambu, in connection with the death of Akhil, a civil police officer with the Malappuram reserve battalion, who had collapsed and died after consuming surgical spirit thinking it was alcohol.
Akhil had inquired about the availability of alcohol in a WhatsApp group on Saturday for a get-together with friends and Vishnu, seeing this, got in touch with him. Akhil felt uneasy after having the alcohol brought by Vishnu and was taken to a nearby hospital with severe vomiting on Saturday.
Later, he was shifted to a private hospital at Venjaramoodu and from there to Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram, but his life could not be saved.
Two under treatment
Two other friends who consumed the spirit are currently undergoing treatment at MCH. According the police, Vishnu procured the spirit from a nurse working with a private hospital at Varkala.
