Suspected food poisoning at NCC Camp: Army’s Lt Colonel assaulted in Kerala

Two have been arrested in the case; the accused assaulted Lieutenant Colonel Karneyil Singh.

On Monday, two persons were arrested for allegedly assaulting an Army officer after over 60 NCC cadets were hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning at a camp held at KMM College in Kochi’s Thrikkakara last week.

Army officer assaulted due to suspected food poisoning at NCC Camp.

The accused assaulted Lieutenant Colonel Karneyil Singh, the administrative officer of the 21 Kerala NCC Battalion, at an NCC Camp held at KMM College in Thrikkakara, Kerala, last week. The police said that the accused had been identified as Nishad, a resident of Fort Kochi and Navas of Palluruthi. A senior police official said that the accused were apprehended at their homes and arrested after being identified by NCC officials. Previously, the Thrikkakara police registered an FIR against two persons for allegedly assaulting the Army officer based on a complaint.

Suspected food poisoning of over 60 cadets.

The incident took place amid tensions following the suspected food poisoning of over 60 cadets on December 23. As per an FIR dated December 24, the accused, identified as “two identifiable persons”, entered the college hosting the camp, stopped, threatened and then attacked Karneyil Singh, the camp commandant, around 11.30 pm. The first accused allegedly stabbed the officer with a sharpened object on his neck and back, hindering his ability to perform official duties, mentioned the FIR.

The attack happened while the officer was serving as camp commandant of the Combined Annual Training Camp (CATC), organised by the 21 Kerala Battalion NCC at the college. The accused have been charged under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 329(3) (criminal trespass), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt). Other charges include 118(1) (causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous means), 121(1) (dissuading a public servant from duty by causing hurt), and 3(5) (criminal acts committed with common intention).