One student dies, 28 hospitalised in suspected food poisoning case in Mandya
Mandya, Mar 16 (PTI): In a suspected case of food poisoning, a 13-year-old boy died, and 28 other inmates of an unauthorised hostel run by a private school here were admitted to the hospital on Sunday after complaining of stomach pain following the consumption of food prepared for Holi celebrations, police said.
The deceased, identified as Kerlong, hailed from Meghalaya, they added.
The incident occurred at Gokula Vidya Samsthe in T Kagepura village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district, police said.
Citing a preliminary investigation, Mallikarjun Baladandi, Superintendent of Police , told PTI that the school, which has been operating since 1989, did not have a license to run a hostel.
The management was illegally operating the hostel on the first floor of the school building without proper infrastructure, including toilets for children.
A total of 202 students study at the school from LKG to Class 8, with about 30 students—most of them from Meghalaya—staying at the hostel. The school reportedly follows an arrangement where hostel students receive leftover food from nearby events, celebrations, or weddings, he said.
On March 14, a group from Malavalli organised a feast as part of Holi celebrations, serving vegetable pulao and chutney for breakfast. The leftover food was later distributed to 30 students at the school hostel, police said.
Of these 30 students, 24 are from Meghalaya, while the remaining are locals, he added.
On March 14, none of the students reported uneasiness, pain, or illness. However, the next day, six students complained of stomach pain and were admitted to the hospital, he said.
On Sunday, a 13-year-old boy collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead. Among the 28 hospitalised students, seven are in critical condition, and one is on a ventilator, he stated.
"We have registered a case under Section 286 and Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and have arrested three people in connection with the incident," he added.
Those arrested include the cook who prepared the food, the hostel warden for distributing leftover food without checking its quality, and the school owner for negligence, he said.
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr Kumar told reporters that the health department was informed on March 15, and officials visited the school. In total, 30 children consumed the food and suffered food poisoning.
"Unfortunately, a 13-year-old student has died, which is deeply saddening. We have informed his parents. The remaining 29 students are receiving treatment, with eight already shifted to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences . Orders have been issued to transfer the other students as well, as MIMS has expert doctors," he said.
"Our top priority is treating the affected students and ensuring their recovery. An investigation will be conducted into the school’s facilities, permissions, and food suppliers, and appropriate legal action will be taken," he added.
"Prima facie, the school’s negligence is evident—how did they allow an external party to supply food without permission? They had no authorisation to run a hostel," he stated.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to 'X' and expressed his grief over the incident, stating that it was heartbreaking to learn about the student’s death and the hospitalisation of several others after consuming food at the private residential school in T Kagepura.
"As soon as the incident came to my attention, I spoke to the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya and instructed him to ensure proper treatment for the children and take strict action against those responsible. The police have arrested three accused, and the investigation is ongoing," he said.
Siddaramaiah also assured that the family of the deceased boy would receive appropriate compensation.
"Everyone must be extra cautious before consuming food from external sources, especially when serving young children. Precious lives should not be lost due to carelessness," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Kannur dental student death: Case registered against loan app operators, parents allege murder
Kannur (PTI): A case has been registered against unidentified loan app operators in connection with the death of a Kannur Dental College student in Anjarakandy, officials said on Monday.
However, the victim’s parents alleged that their son was murdered and held the college faculty responsible for his death.
The Kannur Cyber Police registered the case on Sunday night based on a complaint by an assistant professor of the college.
According to police, Nithin Raj R L, a first-year BDS student, had taken a loan through an online loan app.
After he defaulted on repayment, the app operators allegedly began contacting the assistant professor.
The FIR stated that the accused contacted the woman faculty member via MMS and WhatsApp, threatening her over repayment and attempting to siphon off money illegally.
Sources said that in cases of default, such loan app operators often send messages to all available contacts of the borrower.
Raj (22), a native of Uzhamalackal, Puthukulangara in Thiruvananthapuram district, was found critically injured near the medical college block after falling from a building on April 10 and later succumbed to his injuries.
The family alleged that Raj was subjected to emotional harassment on caste and complexion grounds by two faculty members, following which a case was registered against Dental Anatomy Department Head M K Ram and Associate Professor K T Sangeetha Nambiar for abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Even though notices were issued to both accused to appear for interrogation, they are yet to respond to the police, officials said.
Police officials said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case is also examining whether Raj’s death was linked to threats from the loan app operators.
The cyber case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 308(3) (extortion), along with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act (cheating by personation using computer resources).
Police said Raj’s mobile phone will be examined to gather details about the loan app, and a detailed statement will be recorded from the assistant professor who received the threatening messages and calls.
Meanwhile, the SIT has recovered chat details from Raj’s phone, which indicate that he had sought more time to repay the loan.
According to police, Raj had taken a loan of Rs 14,000, and the app operators had demanded immediate repayment of Rs 8,000.
As his family was facing financial difficulties, he had requested a few weeks’ time to settle the dues.
The SIT, led by the Station House Officer of Chakkarakkallu police station, visited Raj’s house on Monday and recorded statements of his parents and sister.
The four-member team also collected digital evidence from them.
The family also met the State Police Chief Ravada Chandrasekhar and filed a petition seeking a detailed probe into the incident.
Raj’s father Rajan said his son had taken the loan for his mother’s treatment.
“We were repaying it. But recently, the repayment defaulted. If the teacher was aggrieved by the loan app’s calls and my son had done anything wrong, they should have informed us. You can check my phone, there is no call from the college,” he said.
Rajan said he had little hope of getting justice.
“They all killed my son. What justice can I expect? I worked hard for his education. We lost everything,” he said.
He also alleged that even three days after Raj’s death, there had been no communication from the college authorities.
“He was a student of that college. Not even a word from the authorities. Students there, fearing for their future, are not speaking out. At least one student should speak out for us,” he said.
Meanwhile, protests erupted at Kannur Dental College on Monday, with final-year BDS students also joining the agitation.
The college has granted leave to students of other batches following the incident.
Students alleged that the accused faculty member, M K Ram, misbehaved with students by body-shaming and physical assault.
“We were living under severe pressure. Ram was involved in body-shaming. Verbal abuse was frequent. Apart from it, he used to hit students on the head. There were also complaints against him and disciplinary action taken earlier,” a student told reporters.
Political organisations, including KSU of the Congress, SFI and DYFI of the CPI(M), MSF of the IUML and ABVP of the BJP, carried out protest marches.
KSU and SFI activists who entered the college compound were later detained and removed by police.
Kerala SC/ST Commission Chairperson Shekaran Miniyodan visited Raj’s house and interacted with his family.
He said the Commission has registered a case and sought a report from the police.
“We will collect information along with the SIT about the incident. Apart from the preliminary investigation report, we will also examine the postmortem report,” he said.
Similarly, the Kerala Youth Commission has also registered a case and recorded statements of students of the college.
Commission Chairman M Shajar said students have raised serious allegations against M K Ram and that a detailed probe would be conducted with police support.
Earlier, the Kerala State Human Rights Commission had also registered a case and sought a report from the police.
_vb_94.jpeg)