A BANKER of Indian origin was charged with attempted murder for allegedlylacing her mother’s cold drink with lethal poison.
Kuntal Patel, who works for Barclays Bank in Canary Wharf, is accused of attempting to kill her mother Meena, 54, between December 10 last year and January 26.
Meena, a magistrate, sits on the bench at Thames Magistrates’ Court.
It was alleged by that Patel, 36, spiked her mother’s drink with the substance Abrin, which has the potential to stop the liver, spleen and kidneys from working, leading to death.
She was arrested at her family home in Stratford, East London, after an investigation by Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command led to three raids across the capital.
A swat team had raided Patel’s house in breathing gear and protective clothing and spent four days searching the £450,000 terraced home in Park Road, Stratford.
Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorist Command launched the investigation after receiving intelligence of a plot involving a toxic chemical. Patel has been charged under criminal rather than anti-terrorist legislation.
Local councillor Ron Manley, who knows the Patels, said, “They are a very upstanding family. Meena is a magistrate and used to work for a local authority, Kuntal works in the City and her younger daughter Poonam is a pharmacist”.
“They are a Hindu family and I’ve known the two girls since they were at primary school. They have always been very polite, very nice girls.”
