The deceased man, identified as Surya, had ordered the pills online and was taking them since December 22.
A 21-year-old man from Somangalam in Chennai’s Sriperumbudur died on Wednesday, January 4, after taking weight loss pills without a medical prescription. The man, identified as Surya, was working as a milk distributor for a local milk company in the district. Reports said that his parents did not know the name of the pills or how he was able to get them without a prescription. His parents had told the police that he had recently started to become thin and weak.
Speaking to TNM, Somangalam police said that they have not been able to ascertain what caused Surya’s death or whether the pills had anything to do with his death. The police further added that Surya’s body has been sent for postmortem and further investigations are underway. The police further said that Surya’s parents were unaware of him taking the pills and they could not find any pills in his house as well. Based on the complaint filed by Surya’s father, the police have registered a case of death under suspicious circumstances.
According to the Times of India, the police stated that Surya felt that he was overweight and was constantly teased by his friends. Surya had been consulting doctors and other local practitioners to lose weight. His friends suggested he search online for weight reduction pills. He took their advice and bought pills online, and began taking them from December 22.
On January 1, Surya fainted and was admitted to a nearby government hospital and was later shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). The Times of India report said that Surya was in a critical condition when he was admitted and died on Wednesday as he was not responding to the treatment. TNM reached out to RGGGH for a comment but they did not respond.
Source: The News Minute