Gadchiroli, Oct 28 (IANS): In a fresh twist to the sensational mass-poisoning of a five-member family from Mahagaon, the Gadchiroli police have learned that a former alleged boyfriend of one of the two accused women helped her procure a rare poison from Mumbai which she used to killer her relatives, officials said on Friday.

During sustained interrogation, the two accused women also spilled the beans that the poison from Telangana was not suited for their plans as it changed the taste and colour after mixed with food or liquids, so they decided to get another variety from Mumbai, with assistance from Tajne.

The investigators guided by the top officers like Neelotpal, Yatish Deshmukh, Kumar Chintha, and the teams of Sudarshan Rathod, Ulhas Bhusari, Manoj Kalbade, Rahul Awhad, Balaji Sonawane and others are probing further to unravel more tentacles in the shocking crime. Incidentally, the deaths in quick succession of the Kumbhare clan had created an atmosphere of terror with people suspecting the involvement of ‘evil spirits’ or ‘ghost attacks’, and the locals rushed indoors after sunset, but now the villagers’ anxiety has evaporated. The accused women have been sent to police custody for 10 days and further investigations are underway, said the officer.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)