About a dozen persons, mostly daily wage labourers, purchased sattu from a road-side shop and fell ill soon after eating it, Superintendent of Police, Harpreet Kaur said.
Eight persons, identified as Pappu, Krishna Kumar, Sansad Das, Krishna Paswan, Dineshi Paswan, Banshi Ram, Tribhuvan Das and Nathhu Sah have died due to food poisoning, the SP said.
Four others were taken ill and taken to the Sadar hospital for treatment, Kaur said.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he said, confirming that it was a case of food poisoning due to consumption of contaminated sattu.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, Kaur said.
She said a sample of the sattu has been taken from from the shop from where it was sold for examination. Its owner Kapil was absconding.
Meanwhile, the blockade of NH 83 by locals to protest the incident was lifted after the district administration assured action into the incident, the SP added.
