Teacher Arrested for Attempting Murder with Poisoned School Meal

An assistant teacher at a government-run residential school in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to murder students by contaminating their meal with phenyl, a disinfectant and cleaner, as confirmed by local police.

The teacher, identified as Dhananjay Sahu, was arrested after hostel superintendent Dujal Patel lodged a complaint. The incident reportedly occurred on August 21 in Pakela village, when Sahu mixed phenyl into a vegetable dish served for dinner, motivated by a personal vendetta against Patel.

Upon noticing a foul odor, a staff member discovered empty phenyl bottles and alerted Patel. Senior officials were informed, leading to an inquiry that identified Sahu's involvement. During interrogation, Sahu admitted his actions, resulting in charges under section 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

(With inputs from agencies.)