B Arumugam
ERODE: The Sathyamangalam police in Erode district arrested a 32-year-old man on Friday on charges of instigating a minor girl to mix a lethal chemical dye in sambar served to students in a panchayat union middle school in Ramabayalur village. The man, identified as B Arumugam of neighbouring Chinnampathi village, orchestrated it to avenge the dismissal of his wife, Alammal, 30, who was a cook in the school, according to police. The school has 51 students. On being questioned, the minor broke down and said that that Arumugam, an earthmover operator, had given her ₹10 to purchase a packet of chemical dye — Auramine O, a synthetic diarylmethane yellow dye locally known as cow dung powder — from a local grocery shop. Police said Arumugam’s wife had worked as a cook in the school for two years before being sacked in December 2025.
Nursing a grudge, the couple hatched a plot to take revenge,” Sathyamangalam police inspector Vairam said. The school serves breakfast and lunch to the students under the Tamil Nadu govt’s welfare scheme. A search on the premises led teachers to a Class VIII student whose hands were stained with bright yellow powder. “Alammal was sacked as her cooking was not up to the mark.