At least 44 students fell ill after eating dinner at the Central Tapsil Girls’ Hostel near Textile College More in Baharampur, Murshidabad, prompting police action and an investigation into allegations that a substance was mixed into the food. The students were taken to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital, where they were receiving treatment, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin Digital.
The incident took place after the students ate dinner on Saturday night. Several students reportedly began feeling unwell soon afterwards. Hostel security guards transported the affected students to the hospital, where medical treatment was started. The report said the students did not experience vomiting or similar symptoms but appeared to become intoxicated or disoriented.
The students alleged that a narcotic substance had been mixed into the dinner. Based on their complaint, police from Baharampur police station detained the hostel’s cook for questioning. Police were examining the allegations and investigating how the students became ill.
A CCTV video from the hostel kitchen had also emerged. The report said the footage appeared to show the detained cook mixing something into the food, but Sangbad Pratidin Digital stated that it had not independently verified the authenticity of the video. The footage therefore remains part of the investigation rather than established evidence.
The students further claimed that two of their classmates, the hostel security guard and the cook did not eat the paneer curry served that night and did not fall ill. They alleged that those who ate the dish became unwell. These details were based on student accounts cited in the report and had not been independently confirmed in the supplied material.
Local police and administrative personnel reached the hostel after receiving information about the incident. A written complaint was filed at Baharampur police station by the hostel students, and police said they were examining all aspects of the allegations. The cook remained in questioning as investigators looked into the preparation and distribution of the meal.
The incident also raised questions about when the hostel authorities informed the police. The hostel management said its immediate priority had been to take the affected students to hospital and that there had been no time to contact the police before doing so. An official responsible for the hostel said the matter was being investigated.
The supplied report did not provide a medical diagnosis, details of any laboratory testing of the food, or information on the substance allegedly mixed into the meal. The next steps are expected to include the police inquiry, examination of the CCTV footage and further assessment of the students receiving treatment at Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital.
