A day after one person died and four others were hospitalised following suspected food poisoning at a toddy shop, a preliminary inspection has revealed that the unit had been functioning without valid licences from the local panchayat and the Food Safety Department.

Official sources said a verification of records found that the toddy shop had not possessed the mandatory licences from the panchayat or the Food Safety Department for several months. The unit appeared to have been operating solely on the licence issued by the Excise Department.The inspection also found that the staff engaged in cooking and serving food at the shop did not possess the mandatory health cards.

“Since those associated with the toddy shop are absconding, we are awaiting final confirmation on whether the unit had been functioning without the required licences,” they said.

Meanwhile, a preliminary postmortem report has confirmed that Jyothish died due to food poisoning. The results of the examination of his internal organs, sent for pathological analysis, are awaited.

The Kottayam West police have submitted a report before the court naming the toddy shop licensee, cook and manager as accused in the case.

Jyothish, a native of Kumarakom, had visited the toddy shop last Saturday along with seven friends to consume toddy and have food. Of the group, five people who consumed the fish head curry developed serious health complications. Four others who had accompanied Jyothish and shared the meal continue to undergo treatment.

The Food Safety Department, which collected samples from the shop during an inspection conducted the other day, has sent them to a laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram for analysis.

The toddy shop is located at the Thollayiram Chira polders in Aymanam panchayat. While paddy fields border one side of the establishment, a canal runs along the other. An inspection by the authorities found its surroundings to be in an unhygienic state, with stagnant wastewater accumulating in the area. The water in the canal was also found to be heavily polluted.