Jalandhar, July 25
The district police has arrested three persons for allegedly siphoning off wheat grain from the stock maintained at Government Primary School, Bhargo Camp, meant for distribution among the students.
The residents of the colony said they saw two canteen contractors, Jasbir Singh and Santokh Singh, moving out of the school in a rickshaw with five sacks of wheat last evening. They said they immediately stopped them and called the police who arrested them from the spot and recovered five sacks of wheat grain from their possession.
Following intense pressure by the residents of the colony and a complaint by the president of the market association, Mr Puran Chand, the police rounded up a gardener and a watchman this morning on the charges of their alleged involvement in the case. While the watchman, Jog Singh, has been arrested, the police officials said the gardener was held for interrogation.
The residents held a massive protest and said the arrested persons were siphoning off the grains in connivance with the staff of the school. All school teachers and children, however, left the school after the situation intensified.
The District Education Officer (Elementary), Mr Kulbir Saini, said he had not received any complaint from the residents in this regard. He said he had gone to the school for an inquiry, but the staff and the students had already left.
