Karnataka School Poisoning: Sri Rama Sene Leader Among 3 Held For Water Tank Contamination In Belagavi

Bengaluru: The Belagavi police have arrested three persons, including the President of Savadatti taluk Sri Rama Sene President Sagar Patil, in connection with the poisoning of a water tank at a government school in Hoolikatti village, Savadatti taluk.

The other two have been identified as Krishna Madara and Naganagouda Patil, who had hatched a conspiracy to get the headmaster of the school transferred from the village.

About The Case

Belagavi Superintendent of Police Dr Bheemashankar Guleda said that Sagar Sakreppa Patil was miffed that the school headmaster belonged to another religion. To get the teacher transferred, he hatched a conspiracy along with Naganagouda Patil. The two approached Krishna Madara, who was in love with a girl belonging to another community. They blackmailed Krishna to reveal his love affair with others of the village and asked him to poison the school water tank. Their calculation was that after the children are affected by the poison, the school headmaster would be transferred.

A fortnight ago, Krishna Maadar lured a student from the school with chocolates and other snacks, gave him Rs 500, and asked him to mix the contents in a bottle into the school water tank. Not realising that the content was pesticide, the school boy mixed it in the water tank. Several school students were taken ill soon after drinking the water.

The police noticed the pesticide bottle thrown near the water tank and sent it to the laboratory. The subsequent investigation revealed that one of the school boys had poured the pesticide into the water tank at the behest of Krishna Maadar. Subsequent investigation led them to Sagar Sakreppa Patil and Naganagouda Patil.

Reacting to the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked the BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders to introspect over the incident and asked who would take responsibility for lives of small children, who would be victims of communal hatredness.

``Will Sri Rama Sene President Pramod Muthalik take responsibility? BJP President Vijayendra or Opposition leader R Ashok? They should realise that all types of fundamentalism are dangerous,'' he added.