Salma Ansari alleged that several tablets of rat poison were found in the water
As many as 4,000 students had a narrow escape when an alert student caught some unidentified men allegedly trying to mix rat poison in a water tank at Aligarh's Madrasa Chacha Nehru. The madrasa is run by the Al Noor Charitable Society, which is headed by former Vice President Hamid Ansari's wife, Salma Ansari.
Afzal, who stays at the madrasa, had gone to get water on Saturday evening when he saw at least two men allegedly trying to contaminate the water in the water cooler. When he tried to raise an alarm, he was threatened with a country-made pistol and told to keep quiet, he told the police.
However, as soon as the men escaped, he recovered a wrapper that contained rat poison from near the tank and alerted the madrasa warden who immediately informed the police.
"When people target innocent children (one wonders) what level humanity will stoop to," Salma Ansari told news agency ANI.
She added that several tablets of rat poison were found in the water. "Had he not come down and seen them, consequences would have been terrible," she said.
The police have registered an FIR under sections 328 (causing hurt by poison) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and have sent the water sample for forensic examination. The two men are yet to be identified.
A senior police officer said that investigation is on and strict action will be taken against the culprits. The security has been stepped up around the campus. The charitable institution is planning to install CCTV cameras in and around the campus after the incident.
The society runs three schools in slum areas where students are taught essential skills like English communication, fundamentals of Mathematics, importance of health and hygiene and use of modern technology.