A disturbing incident reported at a Panchayat Union Primary School in Erumapatti, near Namakkal, Tamil Nadu has sparked public outrage. Human feces were found smeared on the lock of a mid-day meal cooking kitchen within the school premises, prompting an investigation by the Namakkal district police. The school's headmaster filed a complaint with the Erumapatti police station on Tuesday.
The primary school, which hosts the Chief Minister's breakfast scheme on its premises, serves a large number of students from surrounding areas. When teachers and students returned to school on Monday morning, following the weekend, they discovered human waste smeared on the lock and found the kitchen area in disarray.
Shocked by the incident, school principal Pakiyalakshmi immediately lodged a complaint with the local police. According to ABP Nadu, a case has been registered, and the police are actively searching for those responsible. Superintendent of Police S. Rajesh Kannan, speaking to NDTV, mentioned, "The school authorities gave a complaint only after washing off the feces. We have some leads and should be able to crack the case in a few days."
The incident has drawn condemnation from various quarters, including Union Minister and BJP leader L. Murugan, who urged the Tamil Nadu government to take swift action against those involved.
This event has also drawn parallels to a similar incident last year in Vengavayil village, where human feces were found dumped in a water tank supplying drinking water to a Dalit colony. Following that incident, the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police (DGP) ordered a Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) probe to ensure justice. The tank was used to supply water for Dalits in the region. Following the incident, residents of Vengaivayal decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections held in May 2024.