TIRUCHY: A multi-department team on Thursday seized crates of eggs, meant for supply to government schools and anganwadis to serve during the mid-day meal, from a restaurant at Thuraiyur in the district. Besides sealing off the establishment that allegedly was using the eggs in preparation of dishes, its owner and the noon meal organiser of a government elementary school nearby were arrested in connection with the seizure.
The malpractice came to light after a video, purportedly showing the crates of eggs stacked at the restaurant and the cooks there using it in dishes, was shared widely on social media. Following this, on instructions from Collector M Pradeep Kumar, officials from the food safety and drugs administration department along with the Thuraiyur tahsildar on Thursday held a search at the restaurant on the Tiruchy-Thuraiyur main road and seized the stolen eggs, sources said.
Further, K Rathinam (45), the restaurant proprietor, and R Vasantha Kumari (58), the noon meal organiser at the panchayat union elementary school in Madhurapuri of Thuraiyur, were arrested on various charges, including theft, said Thuraiyur station inspector S Senthil Kumar.
The case was registered based on a complaint by Thuraiyur Block Development Officer (BDO) N Joe. Inquiries revealed that Vasantha Kumari was collecting unused eggs and selling them off to the restaurant. She is also suspected of serving half eggs to students with the intention of selling the remaining ones to the food joint. She indulged in the malpractice for the past two months, Kumar added.