Two Class VIII students of a government higher secondary school in Salem district allegedly mixed poison in the water bottle of their class leader, who reported to the class teacher about their failure to complete their homework. The police registered a case against the students on Saturday evening.
The police said that on Friday, the class leader noticed that the two students had not completed their homework and reported it to the class teacher. Irked by this, the students reportedly mixed poison in his water bottle on Saturday. In the afternoon, when the class leader was drinking the water, he found it tasted odd and sensed a smell. He immediately spat it. He told this to his friend, who then took a sip and spat the water. The two students briefed their teachers, who suspected that the water was contaminated. The boys’ parents took them to Sankagiri Government Hospital and then admitted them to a private hospital at Tiruchengode as a matter of caution. When it emerged that a toxic substance was mixed in the water, they lodged a complaint with the Sankagiri police in the night. The police registered a case under Section 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence) of the IPC against the two boys.
Police sources said that when the two suspects were questioned, they said the class leader used to scold them. Therefore, as a revenge, they wanted to mix laxatives in his water bottle. Since they could not procure laxatives, one of them took a few drops of pesticide from his farmland and mixed it in the water. “The boys said their intention was to cause the class leader diarrhoea,” a police officer said.
Sankagiri Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Raja said Child Welfare Committee officials were asked to give counselling to the two students. Further investigation was underway.
