Four Gautam Resort workers in Khajuraho died and five fight for life after eating suspected contaminated aloo-gobi on December 8, 2025. Health officials probe kitchen hygiene as families grieve and demand justice from management.
Four workers at Gautam Resort in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, Pragilal Kushwaha (54), Ramswaroop Kushwaha (47), Girja Rajak (35), and Roshni Rajak (30)-died from suspected food poisoning, while five others remain critical.
Nine locals fell ill around 5 pm after an evening meal of aloo-gobi, suffering vomiting, dizziness, and anxiety; they were rushed to Chhatarpur District Hospital, then referred to Jhansi Medical College and Gwalior’s New JAH.
Health officials test food, water, and kitchen samples, with police investigating negligence. Khajuraho MP V.D. Sharma demands a thorough probe and strict action, as families urge resort accountability.
Human Cost: Lives Lost and Families Shattered
The victims, aged 19 to 65 and all resort employees from nearby villages, shared a routine staff meal that turned fatal overnight. Pragilal, a veteran cook, left behind a wife and children; Ramswaroop supported elderly parents; Girja and Roshni, a young couple, dreamed of building a home.
Hospital sources describe chaos as symptoms escalated rapidly, with Dr. Roshan Dwivedi confirming classic poisoning signs leading to organ failure in the deceased. A grieving relative of Pragilal shared, “We ate the same food—now four are gone, and our homes are empty.”
Survivors, including two in ventilators, face long recoveries, highlighting the vulnerability of low-wage hospitality workers dependent on employer-provided meals.
Medical Rush and Official Response
Initial treatment at Chhatarpur District Hospital proved insufficient as conditions deteriorated, prompting urgent transfers amid limited ICU beds. At Gwalior’s New JAH, specialists administer antidotes and monitor vitals, with officials ruling out external factors like water contamination so far.
Health Minister Vishwas Sarang directed immediate sample analysis from the National Centre for Disease Control, emphasising, “No stone will be left unturned to pinpoint the cause and prevent recurrence.”
Police sealed the resort kitchen, seizing raw vegetables, spices, and utensils for forensic tests, while a magisterial inquiry assesses hygiene lapses.
Probe Deepens: Kitchen Under Fire
Gautam Resort, a mid-tier property catering to Khajuraho’s temple tourists, faces scrutiny over food storage and sanitation. Preliminary findings point to possible bacterial growth in unrefrigerated aloo-gobi, a staple dish, amid reports of irregular pest control.
Management issued a statement: “We are heartbroken and cooperating fully with authorities to support affected families.” This echoes past incidents, like 2024’s Jaipur hotel outbreak killing two, spurring Madhya Pradesh’s tourism department to mandate CCTV in kitchens and daily audits.
Khajuraho SDM Rajesh Kumar vowed licence suspension if violations emerge, underscoring regulatory gaps in seasonal tourist spots.
Broader Context: Hospitality’s Hygiene Crisis
Khajuraho’s UNESCO heritage status draws lakhs annually, boosting resorts but straining oversight. India reports over 1,000 food poisoning cases yearly in hospitality, per FSSAI data, often linked to untrained cooks and poor supply chains.
Post-COVID norms lapsed in many properties, with worker meals-frequent cost-cutters-bearing the brunt. Local unions note underpaid staff hesitate to complain, fostering a silence that endangers lives.
MP Sharma’s intervention signals political heat, but experts call for nationwide FSSAI digital tracking to enforce compliance.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This heartbreak exposes how negligence in tourist hubs sacrifices workers’ lives for profit, demanding urgent empathy for those sustaining India’s hospitality engine.
Beyond probes, true harmony requires mandatory training, transparent audits, and welfare funds-fostering workplaces where safety trumps shortcuts and kindness ensures coexistence.
Regulators, owners, and communities must unite for change.
