At least 44 students at a government girls’ hostel near Textile College More in Berhampore, Murshidabad, reportedly fell ill after dinner, prompting police to detain a cook and begin an investigation into allegations that a drug-like substance was mixed into food. The allegation has not been established, and the CCTV footage cited in the report has not been independently verified by Anandabazar.com.
The students reportedly developed dizziness, nausea, vomiting-like symptoms and frequent dryness of the throat after eating dinner on Saturday night. Several were taken to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital after hostel security guards transported students who had fallen ill. The report said at least 44 residents were affected, although it did not provide a medical diagnosis or details of laboratory tests.
Some students and parents alleged that a substance resembling a drug had been added to the dinner. According to their account, the symptoms appeared after the meal and included a feeling of heaviness or lethargy. The students specifically alleged that the substance was mixed into a paneer preparation. Two students who reportedly did not eat that dish did not develop similar physical problems, according to the report. This account remains an allegation and has not been confirmed by medical or forensic evidence in the supplied material.
A CCTV recording from the hostel kitchen was cited in connection with the complaint. The report said the footage appeared to show the detained cook adding something to a cooking vessel, but also explicitly noted that its authenticity had not been verified. The recording, therefore, cannot by itself establish what substance was added or whether it caused the students’ symptoms.
Several students filed a written complaint at Berhampore police station. Police said they were examining the allegations and questioning the cook who had been detained. The supplied report does not state whether the cook was formally arrested, whether any criminal charges had been filed, or whether samples of the food, ingredients or students’ blood and other biological material had been collected for testing.
Parents gathered at the hostel after learning that students had fallen ill. One parent, identified as Ruma Haldar, said her daughter had been staying at the hostel for about a week and had been unwell since the night of October 10. Another parent, Bimalkumar Mondal, said his daughter had complained of continuous dizziness and nausea. Their accounts describe the immediate impact on students and families, but do not establish the cause of the illness.
The incident has also raised questions about the hostel’s emergency response. Parents questioned why the authorities did not inform police immediately. Hostel officials said their first priority was to arrange medical care for the affected students, who were being taken to hospital one by one, and that they did not have time to contact police. The authorities also said they were examining the truth of the allegations.
The police inquiry and any medical, food-safety or forensic examination will determine whether the students’ illness was caused by contamination, poisoning, another medical condition or the alleged addition of a drug-like substance. The supplied report does not provide the results of those investigations, and the central allegation remains pending verification.
