By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 21: A total of six individuals have been arrested in connection with the food poisoning incident in a Karnataka hostel that claimed the lives of two students from Meghalaya and left 22 students hospitalised.
Commissioner and Secretary of Home department, Cyril VD Diengdoh, who visited Mandya under government directives, confirmed the arrests.
The Meghalaya government has instructed the concerned deputy commissioners to release an ex-gratia of Rs 3 lakh to the families of the two boys who tragically lost their lives.
“The students were admitted to the Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences, where they are under treatment. Initially, three students were in the ICU; as of today, only one remains in critical care, while the rest are in stable condition. The hospital authorities are taking good care of them, and officers from the Child Welfare Committee of Mandya district are closely monitoring their well-being,” Diengdoh said.
Detailing the circumstances of the poisoning, he explained that the students had been living in an unauthorised hostel associated with their school. On the day of Holi, they were served dinner from a local restaurant, which appears to have led to the mass poisoning. Authorities have since arrested the restaurant cook, the hotel owner, and school staff.
“Food samples have been sent for forensic examination to ensure a thorough investigation,” Diengdoh said.
Law enforcement has taken swift action, with the Mandya district administration and police registering an FIR. The arrests were carried out under Sections 286 and 106 BNSS at the Malavalli Rural Police Station. “The law will take its own course,” Diengdoh emphasized, reaffirming the government’s commitment to justice.
Diengdoh acknowledged concerns about the students’ academic future, especially with exams approaching. “These children are at a crucial stage of their education, with some facing annual exams. The district administration is exploring ways to facilitate their exams without academic loss. After the legal formalities and health considerations, the plan is to bring them back to Meghalaya,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) has urged the state government to take serious note of the investigative report by Sanjana Chappali of Tehelka titled “A Strange And Bitter Crop” published in 2009, which raised hard facts about the conditions of the children taken by RSS and its affiliates or associates to Karnataka.
In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem said that the death of two young boys from the state due to food poisoning in a school in Karnataka and the hospitalisation of many others from the same school should be viewed seriously by the state government and those responsible should be prosecuted and action taken as per law.
He said that a state fact-finding team is urgently needed to investigate the number of young boys and girls taken by groups or organisations for free education outside the state.
Synrem suggested creating a database of these organisations, including their office bearers, contact persons, names, institutions, and residences to ensure that children from the state are enrolled in safe and secure environments.
He emphasized the importance of preventing the tragic loss of lives and establishing a mechanism to hold responsible individuals accountable for the safety and wellbeing of the students.
Copies of the letter were also submitted to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong and Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma.