Cops trying to trace identity with help from Aadhar centres, DNA testing; FIR filed in matter; manufacturer says it’s cooperating with police
The severed digit (right) the Yummo butterscotch ice cream with the finger
A doctor, Brendan Ferrao, was shocked to find a human finger inside ice cream he had ordered via a grocery delivery app on Wednesday. The Malad police are taking the help of Aadhaar centres to identify the person whose finger was found in the frozen dessert. They have also informed the Food and Drugs Administration to take appropriate action against the manufacturer, Yummo Ice Creams, and have registered an FIR in the matter.
Dr Ferrao, 26, a resident of Orlem, Malad West, who works in a Mumbai-based private hospital, told the police he had to undergo various tests as there was blood in the ice cream. According to the police, Dr Ferrao released a video on social media where he stated that on the day of the incident, he instructed his sister Jessica, 22, to order three mango ice creams at 9.54 am.
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Dr Brendan Ferrao (right) the complainant; the storage unit in Malad
A police officer said, “However, they received two mango and one butterscotch ice cream cones. Dr Ferrao opened the butterscotch ice cream around 12.44 pm after having lunch. When he bit into it, he thought the finger was a nut or piece of dried fruit but it had a chewy consistency like bubble gum.”
“When he examined the dessert, he found the digit, causing him to throw up.” Dr Ferrao immediately raised a complaint through the company’s Instagram page. He then received a call from Yummo Ice Creams’ customer care. The company promised to send someone to investigate the matter and requested photos of the ice cream. Within ten minutes, they received a call, informing him that the firm was conducting
an investigation.
After waiting for the company’s response and receiving no reply, the doctor took the ice cream and finger to the Malad police station. “There is a possibility of the ice cream being contaminated. Therefore, it was necessary for the doctor to undergo a complete blood test. He hasn’t eaten since the incident,” a police officer told mid-day on Thursday. Dr Ferrao also raised concerns about blood being mixed in other batches of ice cream.
Police Speak
Senior Inspector Ravi Adane of Malad police station said, “We have registered an FIR against Yummo Ice Creams under Sections 272, 273 and 336 of the Indian Penal Code. Although it appears to be a human finger, we have sent it to the forensic lab for further examination and are awaiting its report.” According to the police, the ice cream was manufactured a month ago and was kept in a storage unit at Ramchandra Lane in Malad West.
DCP Anand Bhoite said, “We suspect that this is a human finger, and it looks like it is the index finger. We are taking the help of the Aadhaar card centres and also conducting DNA tests to identify whose finger it is. We suspect that this finger was severed during the packaging process at the factory. We also suspect that it was manufactured by the ice cream company or its duplicate. We have also informed the FDA.”
Company’s statement
Yummo Ice Creams said in a statement, “We received a customer complaint yesterday [Wednesday] stating that a foreign object was found in one of our products ordered via a delivery partner. Product quality and safety being our highest priority, we were in process to address the situation, meanwhile the matter was escalated, and an official police complaint was filed by the customer. We are taking this incident very seriously.
We have stopped manufacturing at this third-party manufacturing facility. We have isolated the said product at the facility, our warehouses and in process to do the same at the market level. We are a law-abiding company and shall fully co-operate and support the authorities to investigate the matter thoroughly (sic).”
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