LUCKNOW: A Class VII girl student was booked on charge of mixing poison in the food cooked to be distributed as part of Mid Day Meal (MDM) in her school - Government Junior High School - in Baulia village under Bankata police station in Deorai district of eastern UP on Wednesday.
The police lodged an FIR against the girl on the basis of a written complaint given by school principal Bhrigunath Prasad accusing the student of mixing poison in 'dal' so as to kill all to avenge murder of her younger brother by a class V student in April this year.
The case against the school girl was registered under Sections 328 and 511 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). As per the sources, the action against the girl came through after she was spotted adding the poison by the school cook before it could be distributed to the students under MDM on Tuesday. On questioning, the girl claimed that she was doing so to avenge the killing of her younger brother.
"Case has been registered against the girl and modalities to send her to juvenile home are under way," said Devendra Singh Yadav, SHO, Bankata police station. Sharing details of the case, SHO Yadav said: "The girl indulged in the mischievous act as she was not able to come to terms with her brother's death. However, the Class V student, who had killed him on April 2, is currently in juvenile home."
The SHO added that as per the version of the school authorities the girl wanted to take revenge by killing all in the school.
Meanwhile, the sample of contaminated 'dal' was sent to Food Safety and Drug department for testing and the report was awaited.
"The sample of pulse has been sent for test and it will take at least 3-4 days to get the report," said RC Pandey, District Officer, Food Safety and drug department. As per sources, around 10.30 am on Tuesday, as school cook Radhika was serving rice to children, she noticed the accused girl going inside the kitchen.
Radhika followed her and spotted her mixing something in the container of 'Dal' cooked with vegetables. As she found a white layer of some substance over Dal, she smelt the hands of the girl to find a different but peculiar smell. Radhika immediately locked the girl inside the kitchen with the help of another cook Narayan and informed the school principal.
As the news of girl's act spread, the villagers surrounded the school and started beating the girl's mother. On getting the information, a team of officers of district food safety and drug department, BSA Prabhat Srivastav, CHC in-charge, Dr BN Yadav and SHO Bankata, Devendra Singh Yadav, reached the school and detained the girl and her mother.