BHOPAL: Taking a cue from the Bihar 's midday meal tragedy, a disgruntled former panchayat secretary tried to kill all 50 students of a government hostel in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh by mixing rat poison in their meal.

This incident could have been Bihar-like tragedy where a pesticide mixed free school lunch killed 23 children this week, said police.

"Thanks to one of the student who spotted him mixing the poison in the boiling water and averted the disaster," Ajay Sharma, inspector General Hoshangabad Range told TOI.

The incident took place at a hostel for tribal students located in Palaspani village - 72 km from the district headquarters - of the district on Saturday night.

Additional district superintendent of police, Betul, Jeetesh Garg, said the accused Bhajanlal Majhkole was terminated from the post of panchayat secretary a few days ago as a disciplinary action.

He had a dispute with the mess contractor and hatched the Bihar-like conspiracy to settle score with him, said another police officer who is investigating the case.

While doing so, he was spotted by one of the student who alerted other hostel inmates. The accused escaped from the spot leaving an empty packet that contained poison, said sources adding he had two more packets in his pocket. There was also a foul smell in the boiling water that was contaminated by the accused.

Police reached the spot along with the FSL team and collected food samples. "We have sent the samples for forensic analysis. And efforts are on to arrest the accused," said the IG. The accused has been charged under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC. He absconded with his family after the case was registered.

"We have launched a hunt to nab the accused and booked him for attempt to murder," he added.