COOK INVOLVED IN FOOD POISONING OF STUDENTS ARRESTED

VASCO: The Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Vasco, on Thursday, remanded Sadashiv Poojari of Bogmalo, arrested by the Mormugao police in the food poising case on Wednesday, to one-day police custody. Sadashiv Poojari, a cook, involved in preparing the mid-day meal which was served to the students of Murgao High School and Shree Susenashram High School at Headland-Sada, resulting in food poisoning to 54 students and a teacher.

The Mormugao police inspector, Mr Rajan Nigalye, informed that the main culprit in the case, Urmila Salgaonkar, the president of Saraswati Self Help Group is still absconding. All efforts to locate her by the policemen from Mormugao and Vasco have turned out to be futile till late Thursday evening.

The Mormugao police have started the enquiry into the food poisoning incident that was reported at Murgao High School and Shree Susenashram High School at Headland-Sada, after the students consumed the mid-day meals provided to them.

The police have recorded the statement of Akshata Sunil Naik, the class seventh student of Murgao High School, who first the lizard while eating the meal in her classroom.

The police have attached the utensils and also cooking equipment including domestic gas cylinder and gas stove besides other things used for preparing the mid-day meals at the kitchen room at Adarshnagar, Chicalim.

Meanwhile, the health officer at Cottage Hospital, Chicalim, Dr Vikas Kuelkar and the assistant district education inspector, Mormugao, Ms Anuradha Sardessai, on Thursday, inspected the kitchen room at Adarshnagar at Chicalim, which was used for cooking the mid-day meals.

Dr Kuelkar and Ms Sardessai expressed shock over the unhygienic condition of the kitchen room. The ADEI in Mormugao has made an alternate arrangement for the cooking and distribution of the mid-day meals to the students of Murgao High School and Shree Susenashram High School at Sada. The cooking and distribution of mid-day meals to the six schools — Ashadeep Special School, Murgao High School, Mother of Merces High School, Mata Secondary School, Government High School, Mangor-Hill and Shree Susenashram High School have been awarded to Renuka Khapreshwar Self Help Group and Siddhi Self Help Group, on Thursday.

The police have registered the case under Section 336 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 7 (i) 14, 16 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Act and also Sections 15 (A), 87 (F) of Goa Public Health Act against the cook and Urmila Salgaonkar.