The Tiruvarur Taluk police have taken into custody Vijay, 32, Vimal, 30, and Senthilkumar, 38, of Kariyakudi in connection with a case relating to the ransacking of the kitchen and for reportedly putting faeces in the drinking water tank at the Panchayat Union Elementary School in the hamlet, located on the outskirts of Tiruvarur.
The police said that when the kitchen staff arrived on Monday, they noticed that the room was ransacked. The staff informed the school authorities and the police. Subsequently, a police sniffer dog was brought to the school to assist the investigation. The dog, detect a scent and traced it to a house in the hamlet, sources said.
The police said preliminary investigations revealed a group of persons had entered the school premises on the weekend and broke into the kitchen, where they cooked and ate. They had also damaged the plastic drinking water tank near the kitchen and reportedly put faeces in it. At the time of filing this report, there has been no confirmation whether what was found in the tank was human or animal waste. The three persons are being questioned.
Leaders call for action
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran and TMC (Moopanar) president G.K. Vasan expressed shock over the incident and called for strict action against the culprits.
In a post on X, Mr. Murugan strongly condemned the incident and alleged that such incidents were occurring repeatedly. He also blamed the DMK government for inaction and said the police should immediately arrest those involved. Without any diversionary tactics, the police and the Chief Minister, who is in-charge of the police portfolio, should take action, Mr. Murugan said.
“The incident shows criminals don’t fear the police. When will the Chief Minister speak about such recurring incidents? The DMK government should immediately conduct an investigation and arrest the culprits,” Mr. Nagendran said in a separate post on X.
In a statement, Mr. Vasan said it was concerning that such incidents were happening frequently in the State and sought for a stricter punishment for those involved. He added the State government should undertake continuous monitoring efforts and other measures to ensure that such incidents did not occur.
Published – July 15, 2025 12:24 am IST
