Karnataka: Conspiracy To Transfer Muslim Headmaster? 3 Arrested For Poisoning Drinking Water Of School Children

It has come to light that the water tank at a government school in Karnataka's Hulikatti village was poisoned in an attempt to have a Muslim headmaster transferred. The Karnataka Chief Minister elaborated that the incident occurred around 15 days ago, and several children fell ill, though fortunately, there were no fatalities.

Water tank (Photo Credit: Representational Image/ Freepik)

In a shocking revelation, it has emerged that a water tank at a government school in Hulikatti village, Savadatti taluk, Belagavi district, Karnataka, was deliberately poisoned in an attempt to have a Muslim headmaster transferred. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that three individuals, including Sagar Patil, the taluk president of the Shriram Sena, have been arrested for allegedly poisoning the school's drinking water meant for children.

In a post on X, the Chief Minister elaborated that the incident occurred around 15 days ago, and several children fell ill, though fortunately, there were no fatalities. 

"The headmaster of the government school in Hulikatti village, Savadatti taluk, Belagavi district, belongs to the Muslim community. With the malicious intent of having him transferred elsewhere, Sagar Patil, the taluk president of Shriram Sena, along with two others, has been arrested for poisoning the drinking water of school children. In this incident that occurred 15 days ago, several children fell ill, but fortunately, no lives were lost," the post read. 

CM Siddaramaiah congratulated the police who foiled the plot and showed "full confidence" in the judicial system to deliver appropriate punishment to the culprits who committed the act.

"Religious fundamentalism and communal hatred can lead to heinous acts, and this incident, which could have resulted in the massacre of innocent children, is a testament to that. In the land of the Sharanas, who proclaimed, "Compassion is the root of religion," how could such cruelty and hatred arise? Even at this moment, I cannot believe it," he added. 

"BJP leaders who sow hatred in society in the name of religion to cook their political broth should introspect," the Chief Minister continued. 

"All forms of fanaticism and fundamentalism are dangerous to human society. To curb hate speeches and communal riots, we have formed a special task force, and we are taking all possible legal measures against such elements. For all our efforts to bear fruit, the public must also raise their voices against such forces, resist them, and file complaints," he emphasised. 

ಬೆಳಗಾವಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಸವದತ್ತಿ ತಾಲೂಕಿನ ಹೂಲಿಕಟ್ಟಿ ಗ್ರಾಮದ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಶಾಲೆಯ ಮುಖ್ಯೋಪಾಧ್ಯಾಯರು ಮುಸ್ಲಿಂ ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರಿದವರು, ಅವರನ್ನು ತಮ್ಮ ಊರಿನಿಂದ ಬೇರೆಡೆಗೆ ವರ್ಗಾವಣೆ ಮಾಡಿಸಬೇಕೆಂಬ ದುರುದ್ದೇಶದಿಂದ ಶಾಲಾಮಕ್ಕಳ ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರಿಗೆ ವಿಷ ಹಾಕಿದ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮ ಸೇನೆಯ ತಾಲೂಕು ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಸಾಗರ ಪಾಟೀಲ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಒಟ್ಟು ಮೂವರನ್ನು…

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 3, 2025

Huvinakone Village Incident

Earlier, the Karnataka Chief Minister, reacting to the incident of water tanks at a government primary school contaminated by miscreants using pesticide, resulting in four children falling ill in Shivamogga district, on Friday, described the episode as an act of terrorism. According to the news agency IANS, the incident was reported from Huvinakone village in Hosanagara taluk of Shivamogga district on Thursday.

IANS quoted Siddaramaiah as saying, “The state government has taken very seriously the incident in which miscreants allegedly mixed pesticide into the drinking water tank of the government primary school. In my view, this heinous act, seemingly intended to cause mass deaths of innocent young children, is no less than a terrorist attack.”

“Thanks to the alertness of the school’s cooking staff, a major tragedy was averted. I commend the kitchen staff for their timely intervention,” he added.

The Karnataka Chief Minister said that he has instructed the police to conduct a thorough investigation, identify the culprits behind this act, and ensure they are punished with the strictest penalties. A case has been registered, and investigations into the incident are currently in progress.

On Thursday, two water tanks at the government school were found to be contaminated, with one tank containing a particularly high level of pesticide. The issue came to light when some students noticed a foul smell while washing their hands with water from the second tank. Sensing something unusual, they alerted the teachers.

(with IANS inputs)