Addressing recent reports of contamination in a school drinking water tank near Palani, the Dindigul District Superintendent of Police Jeyakumar clarified during an interview that the act was not driven by communal or malicious motives.
Dindigul: Two local boys aged 11 and 12 were found to be responsible for contaminating the overhead water tank of a govt primary school at Maanur near Keeranur, according to Dindigul superintendent of police S Jayakumar. The SP said the headmaster of Maanur Govt primary school lodged a complaint with Keeranur police on Oct 10 after school authorities found a faeces-like substance in the water tank when the school reopened on Oct. 5 after quarterly holidays. After an intensive probe, questioning more than 40 people, it was revealed that one of the boys had defecated while the other allegedly placed the excreta in the water tank.
“Preliminary inquiry suggested that the act was carried out in a playful manner without any specific motive,” the SP said. School headmaster Jayakumar said the contaminated water was drained immediately and the tank disinfected. No student had consumed the polluted water, he said.
Police registered a case under three sections and constituted a special team to investigate the incident. The boys, who regularly visit the school premises to play kabaddi, have been identified. The incident had sparked outrage among parents and villagers following reports that the contamination was disclosed only during a PTA meeting later. Following the incident, the SP inspected the school, while officials assured parents that CCTV cameras would be installed and security enhanced.
He told reporters here on Friday that the act appeared to have been carried out ‘in a playful manner’ without any malicious intent.