Bengaluru: Tragedy struck the Vidyavaridhi International Boarding School in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk of Tumakuru district early Thursday morning as three of its students died of suspected food poisoning, while a fourth student and a watchman remain seriously ill in hospital.
All four students and the watchman,who had a meal of rice, sambar, chapathi and beetroot curry at around 9 pm Wednesday evening, began to vomit and complain of severe stomach ache before falling unconscious some 20 minutes later. They were rushed to a nearby hospital but three of the students, Akanksh Pallakki,15 , Shreyar, 13 and Shanthamurthy, 15, did not make it. Doctors described the condition of the fourth student, Sudarshan, 13, and the watchman, Ramesh as serious. Two of the students who died, were reportedly preparing for their annual SSLC examination.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered an investigation by the district administration and the chairman of the school, which is run by a former BJP legislator, Kiran Kumar, has been taken into custody for questioning. A complaint has also been lodged at the Huliyaru Police Station against the school management.
Deputy Commissioner, K P Mohan Raj has meanwhile instructed his officials to collect samples of the food consumed by the five and send it for testing to the Forensic Science Laboratory. Parents of the children ,who broke down on seeing their dead bodies in the hospital mortuary, later staged a protest before the school and tried to manhandle the school chairman, holding him responsible for their deaths. He was taken to the police station amid tight security and police has been deployed at the school as a precautionary measure.
While Mr Kiran Kumar claimed the food served to the four may have been deliberately poisoned to tarnish the school's image, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, T B Jayachandra, dismissed such a possibility and wondered why the school authorities had not informed parents about the incident. Two of the students who died, were reportedly distant relatives of the minister.
Responding to the tragedy, Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Tanvir Sait said the government would consider amending the existing act to bring all private residential schools under it.
