Man chokes to death on laddu

Hyderabad
Aug. 25: A 39-year-old caterer died after a laddu got stuck in his windpipe while he was taking part in a laddu eating competition organised by a private radio channel at a Ganesh pandal at Nallakunta here on Tuesday.

Pandit Joshi, a diabetic, had participated in the laddu eating competition despite being advised by his family not to do so. The person who ate the maximum laddus within one minute was promised a gold coin. Three persons took part in the contest.

Joshi, who ate seven laddus, collapsed when he tried to eat one more. In his desperation, he popped the laddu into his mouth and choked on it. Locals rushed him to Durgabai Deshmukh hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The body was shifted to Gandhi Hospital for an autopsy and the Nallakunta police registered a case under section 174 IPC.

The competition was held in a pandal at Baiamma Galli, near Veeranjaneya Ganapathi Devasthanam in New Nallakunta. The pandal was set up by Bose Youth Association.

“It was organised by Radio City 91.1 FM channel, and began around 7 pm,” said the inspector, Mr P. Murali Krishna. Joshi was a resident of Tarnaka and is survived by his wife and three children. He was into catering business and had gone to Tilaknagar on Tuesday to meet his relatives, but did not heed their advice.