Karwar: Students fall sick, twelve admitted to ICU after eating mid-day meal at Govt School
Parents allege food contained rat droppings
Karwar: More than 22 students of the Government Model School in Mundgod taluk fell ill on Saturday after consuming the midday meal served on the campus. According to reports from the area, the students complained of severe stomach pain and vomiting shortly after eating the meal.
A total of around 400 students had reportedly consumed the food. Twenty-two of them were taken to hospital for treatment. Hospital authorities confirmed that 12 students were admitted to the ICU, while the remaining ten were discharged after receiving medical care.
Parents alleged that the food items supplied under the Akshara Dasoha scheme were of poor quality. They claimed that sacks of rice and other ingredients used in the midday meal often contained garbage, dust, dirt and even rat droppings. Parents also said they found droppings in the food served on Saturday and questioned the staff, but did not receive a clear response.
According to the parents, storage rooms where the food grains are kept resemble unhygienic godowns. They said the head teacher has the authority to reject substandard supplies but the option is not being exercised. Parents further alleged that they had raised these concerns with officials, including the block education officer, yet no corrective action had been taken.
They also said similar conditions prevail in some government and Urdu schools in Ashraya Nagara and Gudnapur Colony in nearby Haliyala town.
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SIT formed to probe second sexual assault case against expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe a second case of sexual assault against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, police officials said on Friday.
The SIT will be led by G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General at the Police Headquarters.
The team also includes a DSP rank officer and sub-inspectors, officials added.
The second sexual assault complaint was received by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, which it forwarded to the state police chief.
ALSO READ: Cong expels rape-accused MLA Mamkootathil from party's primary membership
Following this, the Crime Branch registered a case and launched an investigation.
Crime Branch officials said the email complaint contained only the sender's email ID and no other contact details.
As part of the probe, they have sent a reply email requesting that the complainant contact them and provide her statement.
The complainant has alleged that she was sexually assaulted under the false promise of marriage, a Crime Branch official said.
However, details such as the location and date of the alleged incident are not currently available to the police.
The SIT will attempt to trace the sender of the email and record her statement, which is crucial for further investigation, the officer said.
Mamkootathil was expelled from the Congress party on Thursday after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail petition in another rape case.
Police said he is currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway in Kerala and neighbouring states.
