PATNA: Five teachers at a government school in Bihar’s Rohtas district were on Wednesday suspended and subsequently taken into custody after being accused of serving ‘suspected meat’ to students under the midday meal scheme.
The incident took place at Utkramit Urdu Middle School in Ramudih in Rohtas district. Action was initiated against the teachers after some villagers claimed that the suspected meat, weighing over seven kilograms, was beef and was being fed to the children.
More than 200 students, belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities, are enrolled in the school. The meat was found inside black polythene bags stored in one of the classrooms. As news spread, a large crowd of villagers gathered on the school premises.
Parents of students enrolled in the school accused five teachers, including principal Mohammad Anwar, of serving beef in the midday meal.
Five teachers, including two female teachers, were suspended with immediate effect.
On a complaint by residents, local police detained five teachers identified as Akhtar Ali, Mohammad Imran, Anwar Khan, Sufiya Khatoon, and Hina Kausar for interrogation.
The sample of the recovered meat has been preserved and will be sent for forensic testing, investigating officers said.
Upon receiving information about the incident, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Prabhat Kumar, along with local police officers, rushed to the spot. Rohtas SP Roshan Kumar said that police have detained five teachers for interrogation.
“The sample of the seized meat will be sent to forensic science laboratory. It will become clear which animal the recovered meat belongs to, once the forensic report is received,” the SP told the media.
He said that it would be inappropriate to jump to any conclusions before the forensic report is received, adding that the police are investigating every aspect of the case.
The Education Department has also initiated a separate inquiry into the matter.