Karnataka School Water Tank Poisoned To Remove Muslim Principal

A sinister plot driven by communal hatred has been uncovered in Karnataka's Belagavi district, where three individuals, including a right-wing group leader, have been arrested for allegedly poisoning a government school's drinking water to force out its Muslim headmaster. The shocking incident, which took place on July 14, left twelve students ill and has sent a wave of concern through the community.

The alleged mastermind behind the heinous act, Sagar Patil, the taluk-level president of the Sri Ram Sene, reportedly confessed to orchestrating the crime. According to police, Patil resented the fact that a Muslim, Headmaster Suleman Gorinaik, held a position of authority in the local government school. Gorinaik has served at the Government Lower Primary School in Hulikatti for 13 years, a tenure marked by dedicated service.

The investigation revealed a deeply disturbing chain of events. Police traced the act of poisoning back to a fifth-grade student. Under questioning, the boy confessed that he had been given a bottle of a harmful substance and instructed to pour it into the school's water tank. He identified the person who gave him the bottle as Krishna Madar.

Further police inquiries unearthed a coercive and manipulative plot. It was discovered that Krishna Madar had been blackmailed by Sagar Patil and Naganagouda Patil. They allegedly threatened to expose his inter-caste romantic relationship, forcing him to comply with their demand to sabotage the school's drinking water supply. The malicious plot was intended to create panic and suspicion around Headmaster Gorinaik, ultimately leading to his transfer.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka has strongly condemned the poisoning attempt, describing it as a "heinous act driven by religious hatred and fundamentalism." In a public statement, he highlighted the grave danger posed by such crimes to communal harmony, noting that the incident could have resulted in a "massacre of innocent children." The children who fell ill after consuming the contaminated water were promptly treated and have since recovered, a fortunate outcome that has done little to diminish the gravity of the crime.

All three accused—Sagar Patil, Naganagouda Patil, and Krishna Madar—have been arrested. The incident has cast a spotlight on the dangerous potential of religious and communal animosity to manifest in acts of violence, even against innocent children, and underscores the ongoing challenges to maintaining peace and harmony in the region.