Nine students of a government school in Deoli, a town in Delhi’s south district, were hospitalised on Thursday after eating midday meals in which dead rats were allegedly found. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia said they would blacklist and file an FIR against Jan Chetna Jagriti & Shaikshanik Vikas, which supplied the food to Government Boys Senior Secondary School, The Indian Express reported.
“While the food was being served, two rats found their way into the sabzi [curry] given to some children from classes 6 to 8. Teachers found the rats and raised an alarm,” a teacher said. “Some of the students began to feel sick and were eventually taken to the hospital. We then informed police.” A member of the school management said one rat was thrown away, but the other was kept for inspection.
An official of the Directorate of Education said four students had complained of vomiting and the others had a stomach ache. Sisodia and DoE Director Saumya Gupta said the children were doing fine, after visiting them at the Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in Malviya Nagar.
Medical superintendent of the hospital Dr R Chugh said the students’ condition was stable and that they were under observation. “They will be discharged in a while after symptomatic treatment,” he told Hindustan Times. DoE officials said the midday meal supplier had already been served a showcause notice.
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