Kerala teacher arrested over alleged false claim of worms in food at state sports meet

A physical education teacher was arrested on Thursday for allegedly making a false claim that worms were found in food served to students attending the State Sports Meet being held in Kozhikode, police said.Keralam General Education Minister N Samsudheen alleged a conspiracy behind the incident and the department suspended the teacher, ordering an inquiry.The arrested person was identified as Jijo James, a teacher at a vocational higher secondary school in Ernakulam district.The State Sports Meet is being held at the NIT Kozhikode ground, with students from all schools under the General Education Department taking part.On Wednesday, James alleged that worms were found in the food served to students attending the event.Also Read: Keralam govt to notify safety protocols for sports meets amid complaintsPolice said the teacher uploaded a Facebook post alleging the misconduct.Later, student organisation SFI held a protest march, officials said.Following the allegation, the organisers conducted an inspection and found it to be false, police said.Based on a complaint lodged by Sports Meet Convenor P K Aravindan, the Kunnamangalam police registered a case against James on Thursday under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot.By evening, the teacher deleted the social media post, officials said.Kunnamangalam police took him into custody and later recorded his arrest.As the case is registered under a bailable charge, the teacher would be released on bail, officials said.Further investigation is underway, police added.Meanwhile, minister Samsudheen said the incident appeared to be part of a planned attempt by certain anti-social elements to disrupt the sporting event, which students had prepared for through months and years of training."Those trying to disrupt a sports meet organised for our children are anti-social elements.

Some people are acting out of other interests, and this is a very bad practice," he told reporters here.Samsudheen said the organisers had inspected the food following the allegation and found it to be false.Also Read: Kerala school teacher suspended for Savarkar question amid 'freedom quiz' rowHe claimed that the incident was not the work of the teacher alone and called for an investigation into the alleged conspiracy."The incident was not created by him alone.

There are people with an anti-social mindset behind attempts to disrupt the meet, and their role should be investigated," he said.The minister said the police had registered a case against James, a teacher at an aided school in Perumbavoor, and that departmental action would also follow."What is there to doubt about the need for action against a teacher who attempted such an act at a meet for children, whether motivated by politics or some other form of revenge?

Strong action will be taken," he said.The minister, however, said the alleged conspiracy should not necessarily be viewed as a political conspiracy, adding that the conduct of certain people had raised suspicions.The incident later triggered a political battle, with CPI(M) workers claiming that James was a Congress worker and contested the local body election in Vengoor, Ernakulam district, in 2020.However, Congress leader Jinto John, in a Facebook post, claimed that James left the party in 2021 and joined the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), which is associated with the CPI(M).John said that James left the Congress after the rebel candidate won the local body election and was subsequently readmitted to the party along with those who had supported him.John alleged that James was brought into the CPI(M) fold under the leadership of then local secretary Georgy Joy, who facilitated his enrolment in the DYFIHe said James had been a member of the Kerala Pradesh School Teachers Association (KPSTA), a Congress-affiliated teachers' organisation, while he was in the Congress, but had not renewed his membership after leaving the party.Also Read: Kerala Education minister's office lodges complaint over social media claims on Onam exam papersJohn claimed that James had not been active in the Congress or its affiliated teachers' organisation for the past five years and was no longer a member of either.On the other hand, former General Education Minister and CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty on Thursday alleged serious lapses in the organisation of the State School Sports Meet, including in the distribution of food to participants.Sivankutty alleged that the event had been organised by dividing responsibilities among teachers' organisations affiliated to Congress and UDF, and that disputes between them were also evident.He also raised questions about food safety arrangements, saying adequate security measures should have been in place at the kitchen and storage facilities to prevent any lapses."Why were precautionary measures not taken?

Why was attention not paid to ensuring that competitions began on time? Why could cash awards and other merit awards not be distributed to the children?" he told reporters.Sivankutty said the overall handling of the event reflected serious shortcomings in its organisation.