Chhattisgarh High Court Takes Suo Motu Cognizance After Phenyl Found in Sukma School Meal

The Chhattisgarh High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a shocking incident in Sukma district, where phenyl was allegedly mixed with food prepared for 426 children at a residential school. Court described the act as criminal and directed the state government to implement strict food safety measures across all schools, hostels, and Anganwadi centres.

A report was published in Hindi daily Navbharat on 26 August 2025. According to the report, on the night of 21 August, vegetables cooked for students at the Pakela Residential Potacabin School in Sukma were found to be contaminated. A teacher, tasked with tasting the meal before serving, detected a strong smell of phenyl. Authorities later confirmed that 48 kilograms of beans had been prepared for dinner that evening.

The school superintendent noted that timely detection prevented a catastrophe, as consumption of the contaminated food could have endangered hundreds of lives. Students alleged that a teacher was behind the incident, while one pupil claimed to have seen a masked person adding something to the vegetables.

The Collector of Sukma immediately ordered an inquiry and formed a team of officials, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, District Mission Coordinator, and Additional Project Coordinator.

Hearing the matter on 26 August, the bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru remarked that such acts not only constitute gross negligence but amount to a criminal offence that puts children’s lives at risk. The judges noted that repeated reports of unhygienic or contaminated food in schools and hostels were eroding public trust in the system.

The bench emphasised that parents send their children to residential schools believing they will be cared for, and any lapse of this nature could shatter that confidence.

"The magnitude of the incident is shocking. Had the contaminated food been consumed by the students, it is beyond imagination what devastation it would have caused to the lives of their parents and families," court said. 

Court directed the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh to issue comprehensive guidelines to ensure food safety across institutions. Among the measures suggested were:

• Mandatory tasting of food by teachers before serving, with entries maintained in a register.
• Regular inspections of kitchens and storerooms, with chemicals like phenyl and pesticides stored separately.
• CCTV installation in kitchens and dining areas of residential schools.
• Appointment of nodal officers in every district to monitor food safety.
• Fixing accountability on principals, wardens, and headmasters for lapses.
• Regular training for cooks and staff on hygiene and handling of chemicals.
• Medical preparedness through first-aid kits, tie-ups with local health centres, and mock drills.
• Community involvement through parent-teacher monitoring committees.
• Immediate registration of FIRs in cases of deliberate contamination.

Court also directed that all incidents of food-related lapses, however minor, must be reported to the district education officer and collector.

Moreover, court ordered the Chief Secretary to file an affidavit before the next hearing on 17 September 2025, outlining the steps taken to implement these directions.

Warning that “even the slightest act of negligence could pose a serious threat to children’s lives,” the bench made it clear that any lapse would be viewed seriously by the court.

Recently, High Court directed the state government to pay Rs 25,000 compensation to each student who was served a mid-day meal contaminated by a stray dog at a government school in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district. The bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru held that the state had failed to ensure safe food for children and ordered the amount to be disbursed within one month.

That case arose from an incident at the Government Middle School, Lachchhanpur, where a dog had licked food later distributed to 84 students. Though none of the children fell ill, all had to undergo anti-rabies vaccinations. Taking suo motu cognizance, the court also barred the self-help group that cooked the food from future work, suspended school officials, and laid down preventive measures such as fenced kitchens, mandatory food checks, and parental supervision.

Case Title: In The Matter Of Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation Versus The Chief Secretary & Other

Order Date: August 26, 2025

Bench: Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bibhu Datta Guru