Poison mixed in school midday meal; husband of former cook arrested

CHENNAI: The husband of a former school cook has been arrested for allegedly attempting to mix poison into food served to students at a school. The incident took place in Erode, Tamil Nadu. The accused has been identified as B Arumugam, a native of Erode. His wife, Alammal, had worked as a cook at the school.

Alammal was recently dismissed from the school. Police suspect that Arumugam attempted to mix poison into the sambar served with the morning meal out of resentment over her dismissal. He allegedly sought the help of an eighth-grade student to carry out the act.

The accused reportedly lured the girl by promising to buy her new clothes. He then allegedly asked her to mix the poison into the sambar.

Teachers are required to taste the food before it is served to students. The incident came to light when a teacher who tasted the food became suspicious. The student had mixed the substance into a container of food kept aside for the teacher. The teacher noticed a yellow substance on the girl's hands. During questioning, the student admitted to mixing the poison into the food, leading to the arrest of Arumugam.