Karnataka: Pesticide found in govt school water tank; case registered

Shivamogga (Karnataka), Aug 1 (PTI) A case has been registered after a water tank at a government primary school in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district was allegedly found contaminated with pesticides on Friday, police said.

Thanks to the alertness of the staff, a major tragedy was averted as none of the students consumed the contaminated water, they added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken serious note of the incident and directed police to conduct a thorough probe, identify those responsible, and ensure strict action against them.

A senior police officer said preliminary inquiry revealed that the school had two tanks—one with sufficient water and the other, which had less water, was found laced with a large quantity of pesticides.

A pesticide bottle was also recovered near the suspected tank.

"The school staff noticed the contamination in time and alerted authorities," the police officer said.

"We are treating this matter very seriously and have registered a case under Section 123 (causing hurt by poison with intent to commit an offence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Two teams have been formed to trace the culprits, and an investigation is underway," he added.

Taking to 'X', Siddaramaiah termed the act as "malicious" and equated it to a "terrorist attack intended to cause mass killing of innocent children." "I commend the kitchen staff for their timely intervention. I’ve directed police to ensure the culprits are given the strictest punishment," he said, adding, "The very mindset of poisoning drinking water reflects the moral decline of humanity among us. It’s something we must all reflect on." PTI AMP SSK