Students Fall Ill After Karnataka School Water Poisoned To Remove Muslim Headmaster; 3 Held
Three people, including a right-wing group leader, have been arrested for allegedly poisoning the drinking water tank at a government primary school in Hulikatti village, Belagavi district, Karnataka. The act was reportedly carried out with the intent to frame the school's Muslim headmaster and push for his transfer.
According to the police, the accused include Sagar Patil, the taluk president of Shriram Sena, a right-wing Hindu group. Patil and two others allegedly contaminated the water source used by schoolchildren.
The motive was rooted in religious bias and an effort to create communal tension in the area, the police said.
The incident came to light about two weeks ago, when several children reportedly fell ill after consuming the contaminated water. Meanwhile, no casualties were reported, and all the affected students have since recovered.
All three accused have been filed under relevant sections related to endangering public safety and promoting enmity.
In response to the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly condemned the act, calling it a 'heinous crime" driven by religious hatred and intolerance.
He also slammed right-wing groups and the BJP who he said often support such actions, asking whether they would take responsibility for this incident. 'Will Pramod Mutalik take responsibility for this incident? Will @BYVijayendra take responsibility? Will @RAshokaBJP take responsibility?" he asked.
ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಸವದತ್ತಿ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ಹೂಲಿಕಟ್ಟಿ ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಶಾಲೆಯ ಮುಖ್ಯೋಪಾಧ್ಯಾಯರು ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದವರು, ಅವರನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮ ಊರಿನಿಂದ ಬೇರೆಡೆಗೆ ವರ್ಗಾವಣೆ ಮಾಡಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬ ದುರುದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಶಾಲಾಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರಿಗೆ ವಿಷ ಹಾಕಿದ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮ ಸೇನೆಯ ತಾಲೂಕು ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಸಾಗರ ಪಾಟೀಲ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಒಟ್ಟು ಮೂವರನ್ನು…— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 3, 2025
'Leaders who always support such socially destructive acts should now come forward and atone for their sins," he added.
The Chief Minister further warned that all forms of extremism pose a serious threat to society and that the state has formed a special task force to curb hate speech and communal violence. He also appealed to the public to remain alert and report such activities.
'Congratulations to the police personnel who foiled the evil plot to massacre children. I have full confidence that the judicial system will deliver appropriate punishment to the culprits who committed such a heinous act," Siddaramaiah added.
(With inputs from PTI)
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