NEW DELHI: Two people were arrested for assaulting a senior officer at an NCC camp held at KMM College in Thrikkakara, Kerala, following an alleged case of food poisoning that affected 86 cadets, news agency PTI reported.
The incident occurred Monday night when parents, angered by reports of food poisoning at the camp, gathered at the university. According to the FIR, the accused, identified as a member of the SFI district secretariat and a BJP councilor from Kalamassery municipality, threatened and attacked the officer. One of the accused allegedly stabbed Singh with a sharp object, injuring his cheek, neck and back, TOI reported.
Read also: 2 kitchen workers did not have a health card: Officials
The NCC camp, part of a 10-day combined annual training camp organized by the Kerala NCC’s 21 Battalion, faced criticism after the health department found that the kitchen was functioning in unhygienic conditions. Inspections revealed that two of the seven kitchen workers lacked the mandatory health card. Food, water, and stool samples were collected for testing to determine the exact cause of suspected food poisoning.
The affected cadets were taken to local hospitals and released Tuesday morning. NCC officials informed that the camp was temporarily suspended and would resume on December 26 after ensuring adequate safety measures.
In response to the incident, a departmental investigation was launched under the leadership of Brigadier Suresh G, Commander, Kollam NCC Group, to investigate the food poisoning. Additionally, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu announced a separate inquiry led by Chief Secretary Ishita Roy.