New Delhi, April 9 – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report regarding a food poisoning incident at a girls' hostel in Ahmedabad district, Gujarat, where several students fell ill after consuming food.
The apex human rights body has issued notices to the State Chief Secretary and the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.
The NHRC has requested the authorities to provide information on the health condition of the affected students and the progress of the investigation.
Observing that the contents of the report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of human rights, the NHRC stated that the matter warranted immediate attention.
According to reports, the incident occurred on April 5 at a hostel located in the Memnagar area, where students complained of abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting after consuming food.
They were subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment. Approximately 57 students residing in the hostel fell ill and were rushed to a private hospital after experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, and weakness.
Of these, 18 were admitted, while the remaining were discharged after outpatient observation. The condition of those admitted is reported to be stable.
Officials indicated that the students had consumed both food prepared at the hostel and some items sourced from outside, including pani puri and dabeli.
While the exact cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained, preliminary inputs suggest possible food contamination. Food and water samples have since been collected from the hostel for testing, and further action will be taken based on the investigation's findings.
Established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the NHRC, an autonomous statutory body, embodies India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.
Its primary role is to protect and promote human rights, defined as the rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and the dignity of individuals, guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in international covenants, and enforceable by courts in India.
The apex human rights body has the power to take suo motu (on its own motion) action based on media reports, public knowledge, or other sources, without receiving a formal complaint of human rights violations.