Hyderabad: A man was arrested on Wednesday, April 16, for allegedly mixing pesticide in the kitchen of a government primary school in Dharmapuri village, Ichchoda mandal of Adilabad district, Telangana.

The accused has been identified as Soyam Kistu, a resident of Gonduguda in Dharmapuri village.

According to reports, the incident came to light on Tuesday morning when teacher Pratibha and locals noticed suspicious white-colored liquid in a pot and a bucket inside the school kitchen. Upon inspection, it was found that the kitchen lock had been broken and some utensils had been tampered with.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the substance was an insecticide. Acting on a complaint by the teacher, Ichchoda police launched an investigation and arrested the accused.

During questioning, Kistu confessed to bringing insecticide from his brother’s house in Nirmal and breaking into the school kitchen. He reportedly mixed the chemical in the utensils out of frustration stemming from personal and family disputes.

According to police, Kistu was mentally anxious and depressed, and claimed he took the step as a form of expression of anger after being confined at home and denied work opportunities.

Fortunately, the school was closed due to holidays on Sunday and Monday, and no children consumed the contaminated food or water.

A case has been registered under sections 329(4), 324(6), 331(8), and 332 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)