ISKCON centre booked as students fall ill after midday meal

Thane: A case was on Friday registered against an ISKCON centre located at Wada after over 100 students at a Zilla Parishad-run primary school in neighbouring Palghar district were hospitalised on eating the midday meal supplied by the organisation.

An offence under IPC section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) has been lodged against ISCKON Food Relief Foundation Company, Wada, Vikramgadh Police Station Inspector Sunil Nandwalkar said.

Over 50 students of a school at Kasa Budruk village in Palghar complained of severe stomach ache and nausea immediately after eating the packed food under midday meal scheme on Thursday afternoon which was supplied by the ISKCON center at Wada.

Later, all 280 students were taken to Kasa Rural Hospital for medical checkup as a precautionary measure and 104 were hospitalised. "Of the 104, two children were discharged while 102 are still under observation at the Kasa Rural hospital. They would be hospitalised for some more time till they completely recuperate as most of them reside at far off places," the officer said.

The food samples were on Thursday collected and sent for laboratory analysis.

Palghar ZP president Surekha Tethle said a notice has been issued to ISKCON, which supplies food to 1,200 schools in Palghar, Vikramgadh, and Wada. "Based on the results of samples, we will take further action against the supplier," she said.

FDA Joint Commissioner, Konkan region, Suresh Deshmukh, who monitored the situation last night, said it was a serious matter and a team of FDA has been dispatched to the food processing units of ISKCON at Wada and Palghar.

"Our first step will be to ascertain the cause behind the incident. Once the test (sample) report are out, we will act further on it," Deshmukh said.