About 80 persons were discharged after being treated at various hospitals in the vicinity, while 40 are still receiving treatment at the D M Petit Hospital and the Cardinal Gracias Memorial Hospital at Bangli in Vasai (West). Some are also recuperating at the Dr Jospeh Hospital at Holi village.Vasai police are yet to register a case and are investigating whether there was an attempt to poison the guests. No complaint was lodged till late evening.

Public Health Department officials of the Vasai Municipal Council have collected samples of the soft drink have and sent them for analysis. An official said a contaminant may have inadvertently got mixed with the drink, causing the poisoning.

Express Newsline visited Petit Hospital at Par Naka, where 25-30patients, mainly women, are recuperating. The function's host, Chandmiya Hasan, who was celebrating his son Anees' wedding on Sunday, says: ``I had asked my sister to prepare soft drinks for the guests. She had made the drink by about 6.30 pm after which it was kept to cool in ice.

``After 8 pm, everyone had finished their drinks and began to dine. After that, some guests began vomiting. At about 9.45 pm, I too threw up and we all rushed to hospital for treatment,'' Hasan says. The bride- and groom-to-be were, however, spared.

Staff at the Dr Joseph D'Souza Hospital say about 60 persons were admitted late last night, almost all of whom have been discharged. The public relations officer at the Cardinal Gracias Hospital, P M Dias, says 14 patients including 10 children aged between 5 and 13 had been admitted, of which nine are still being treated. ``Some are waiting for their relatives to come and pay their hospital bills before getting discharged.''

The mother of a nine-year old says she is angry withthe hosts for not footing their hospital bill.