Accused of contaminating school water, three individuals face detention by Karnataka's judicial authorities
In the small village of Hoolikatti, Savadatti Taluk, Belagavi District, a disturbing incident unfolded on July 14, 2025. Three men—Sagar Patil, Krishna Madar, and Naganagouda (Magangouda) Patil—were arrested for allegedly poisoning the drinking water tank of a government Kannada primary school [1][2][3][5].
The motive behind this heinous act was to forcibly remove the school's Muslim headmaster, Suleman Gorinaik, by causing illness among students and creating panic that would lead to the principal’s transfer [1][2][3]. The poisonous substance was allegedly procured from Munavvalli by Naganagouda and Krishna Madar [1].
The incident resulted in 11 to 12 students falling seriously ill and requiring hospitalization [1][2][3][5]. Several students exhibited symptoms of poisoning, such as vomiting and dizziness, after consuming the contaminated water [1].
The investigation uncovered coercion and the use of a child to apply the poison. Sagar Patil, president of the Savadatti taluk branch of the Sri Ram Sene (a right-wing group), is identified as the mastermind [1][2][3]. He coerced Krishna Madar to cooperate by threatening to expose his personal matters [1].
One of the accused, Krishna Madar, was allegedly forced into helping the others with the crime. A student from the school was also coerced into assisting the accused in the act [1][3]. It is claimed that Madar was in a relationship with a woman from another caste, and that Sagar Patil had threatened to expose this relationship unless Madar cooperated in executing the act [1].
Following the arrests, police registered a case under severe legal provisions including culpable homicide and endangering life under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) [3]. The accused are currently in judicial custody [1]. A special task force has been formed to prevent hate crimes, and the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the act as an example of dangerous religious fundamentalism, emphasizing legal measures to curb extremism [2][3][4].
The trial court in Karnataka has remanded the three men—Sagar Patil, Krishna Madar, and Naganagouda—to judicial custody till August 11 [6]. The exact nature of the substance used to poison the water tank is not specified in the article. The FIR registered in the Soundatti Police Station cites the offences under Sections 125(a) and 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 [1].
This case underscores communal tensions and the use of violent means driven by religious hatred in the region [2][3]. The Senior Civil Judge Siddarama of the Savadatti court in Belagavi passed the order [7]. The investigation and trial are ongoing.
- The disturbing incident in Hoolikatti, Belagavi District, has shed light on the interplay of politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice, as the case involves alleged hate crimes, coercion, and severe legal provisions.
- The case, which involves the poisoning of a school's drinking water tank, has sparked general news coverage and raised questions about communal tensions, religious fundamentalism, and the need for stronger action against extremism in the region.
