As many as 11 students and a helper were admitted to the District Hospital on Thursday after they came into contact with cowitch seed powder (naikorana) while entering the staff room of the Government Moyan Lower Primary School.
It is suspected that teachers or outsiders who supported the strike call were behind the mischief.
The incident occurred at 9.15 am. The students and the 32-year-old school helper identified as Sumathi, came into contact with the seeds, which has the potential to cause terrible itching sensation, as they entered the staff room. They found a packet lying on the ground and thought it to be sawdust. But when they switched on the fan the powder spread all over the room, and they began to feel itchy.
It was later learned that the someone had mixed cowitch seed powder with saw dust and planted the same in the room via a hole in the staff room door.
The students, belong to classes II to IV and have been identified as Safwan, Ansil, Mehnaz, Thassi, Ferhana, Shibila, Madeena, Heeba, Aswathi, Anusha and Safreena.
Headmaster Jayaprakash said that every room in the school had been locked at 4.45 pm on Wednesday.
The Palakkad Town North police have registered a case.
Shafi Parambil MLA who visited the students demanded strong action against the culprits. He said that Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, who is an MLA from the district, should answer whether he approved of such action by the employees who were on strike.