Rights body suggests shutting hostel of college in Hyderabad over food poisoning

Hyderabad: Following the incident of widespread food poisoning, the Telangana State Child Rights Protection Commission ordered the shutdown of Sri Chaitanya Junior College’s Akshara Girls Campus hostel in Madhapur on Tuesday, October 1.

Over 100 students had fallen ill due to food poisoning after consuming food at the hostel mess on September 27. The students reportedly felt discomfort and illness shortly after, with symptoms including fever, body pains, and vomiting.

The college hostel, which was found to have unsanitary conditions in the kitchen, was fined Rs 2 lakh by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). The Child Rights Commission’s action of shutting down the hostel follows the GHMC’s action.

The college management had allegedly tried to deal with this issue discreetly, with the principal of the college asking the students not to inform their parents about the food poisoning. The students of the college were admitted to a local hospital in Hyderabad.

The college management’s actions led to mass outrage among the students, who reported the issue outside, which led to the information being out in public, demanding accountability from the administration and hostel management.