3 found dead in IBBR premises, suspected to have consumed wild mushroom: Police

Shillong, Jul 10 (PTI) Three persons, including a woman, were found dead in the Institute of Science and BioResource (IBBR) premises near here, police said on Monday.

The bodies were recovered on Sunday night from two rooms at the under-construction site of the institute and they have been identified as employees of the institute, located about 10 km north of here, the police said.

While the body of cleaner Sheba Kharbani, 40, was found in one room, the bodies of Rupert Donbor Dohtdong, 43, and Backstar Kharkrang, 30, both employed as cleaner and chowkidar respectively were recovered in an adjacent room, a senior police officer told PTI.

He said the police were informed about a foul smell that had emanated from the rooms occupied by the cleaners on the first floor of the building.

The local police from the Mawdiangdiang outpost reached the spot accompanied by elders from the locality.

Upon investigating the other rooms, a pot containing wild mushrooms was found which led to the suspicion that the trio had together consumed wild poisonous mushrooms, the officer said.

Apart from the pot, police are looking for any other evidence that could have led to the death of the three persons, she said.

The bodies were taken to North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science for post-mortem, she said, adding that a case of unnatural death was also registered.