Mystery resolved: Brother of Layyah shop owner poisoned sweets that claimed 31 lives

The police said that a breakthrough was made during the investigations after the younger brother of the shop owner confessed to the crime. He has also recorded his confessional statement to a judicial magistrate.

Khalid, 18, mixed the poisonous chemical in the sweetmeats over personal dispute with his elder brother and shop owner Tahir.

Khalid said that his brother used to repeatedly taunt him and even abused physically on several occasions. He, therefore, wanted to avenge his brother by causing damage to his business.

Thus, he adulterated the sweetmeats with a pesticide that contained 200 milliliters of the Chlorfenapyr chemical. Later, police raided a sunflower field and retrieved the empty bottle of the pesticide.

On April 21, the incident took place in the town of Karor Lal Essan in Layyah district when sweets were distributed in the house of Umar Hayat on the occasion of birth of his child.

At least six people had died the same day while the deaths continued in days to follow taking the count to 32.