School Onam celebration at toddy shop ends in misery; Excise with action

ALAPPUZHA: Two employees of a toddy shop were arrested for selling toddy to students ahead of the school's Onam celebrations. The shop license was also cancelled. Cherthala Excise Range Office registered a case against the employees and four licensees. The incident happened on the 13th of this month.

The information came to light when one of the students who drank toddy had to seek medical help after his condition worsened. The child's condition improved and he was sent home under a doctor's supervision. Shop employee Manohar and manager Mohan were arrested. The other accused are licensees Chandrapan, Ramadevi, Ashokan and S Sreekumar.

According to Excise officials, the child will undergo counselling after his conditions improve. Excise is conducting a special investigation into the incident. Scientific testing will also be done. Excise found that the employees of the Pallichantha shop took money from the four students before selling the toddy. The children sipped the toddy sitting in the bushes near the Pallipuram temple and safely kept the rest in a bag to take to school.

It is said that the children drank toddy even inside the school restroom. Meanwhile, one boy turned unconscious and had to be taken to Thuravoor Taluk Hospital and then to a private hospital in Cherthala and from there to Alappuzha Medical College Hospital.