As many as 77 school students fell ill after consuming their mid-day meal which allegedly contained a dead lizard, officials said in Seoni on Saturday. The incident took place on Thursday at Jaitara village of the district. The reptile was found in the vegetable which was distributed under the
mid-day meal scheme, they said.
The students who consumed the meal started vomiting and were admitted to the district hospital here, they said, adding the School Education Department has suspended the headmaster R L Pandey.
Police have registered a case against a self-help group, which had supplied the meal, under IPC section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) among others.
Madhya Pradesh Minister for Labour Jagannath Singh, who is in-charge of Seoni district, met the students in the hospital and directed District Collector Manohar Dubey to investigate the incident, following which a five-member panel has been set up.