Students at Step By Step School in Noida get food poisoning: School was fined over ‘substandard food’

“The food department has taken samples of oil and ajwain used in the parathas served for breakfast. They will be sent for examination to Lucknow. It will take two-three months to get the results. While the report is awaited, police are conducting an investigation,” Mahendra Kumar Singh, City Magistrate, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, said.

On Thursday evening, students had fallen ill in a suspected case of food poisoning. When a team of police officers and officials from the district administration reached the school, they were not allowed to enter. Singh had filed a complaint against the school authorities, and an FIR was registered at Expressway police station.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 328 (causing hurt by means of poison, etc, with intent to commit an offence), 32 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) against the administration, police said.

READ | FIR against school as 20 students fall ill after breakfast

According to police, parents of students who fell ill are yet to submit a written complaint against the school. “MLCs of 34 students have been conducted,” Vedpal Singh Pundir, SHO, Expressway police station, said.

While school authorities could not be reached for a comment, police sources said they are looking into an earlier incident too. “We received information that the government department took samples from the canteen in 2014. In 2016, the school was slapped with a fine of Rs 3 lakh,” a police officer said.