Bengaluru: It was Standard X student Sudarshan’s quick thinking that prevented more students from helping themselves to the sambar, which is believed to have claimed the lives of three students in the boys’ hostel of Vidya Varidhi International School(CBSE) in Chikkanayakanahalli taluk, Tumakuru district.

Additional Superintendent of Police Manjunath told The Hindu, "We cannot say right now whether it was due to the sambar even though students complained about it. All the food items — chapathi, beetroot palya, sambar, rice and buttermilk — have been seized and samples sent to a laboratory for testing.”

Sudarshan was the first to reach the hostel’s dining hall on Wednesday night around 9 p.m. He was accompanied by Y. Shreyas, Akanksh Pallakki and Shantha Murthy who died in the wee hours of Thursday. The deceased had complained of severe stomach ache shortly after eating the rice and sambar that was served for dinner.

When Sudarshan tasted the rice and sambar, he felt that something was wrong. He immediately warned his school mates, who had by then trooped into the hall for dinner.

"I had taken a few morsels and found that the sambhar was not tasting good. I told the other children not to eat the sambar," Sudarshan told reporters and officials from his hospital bed.

By then, Y. Shreyas, Akanksh Pallakki, Shantha Murthy and security guard Ramesh had finished eating a meal of rice and sambar.

Most of the students had opted for chappati and palya, and those who had taken the sambar put it aside after the warning from Sudarshan.

Aravind, a Class X student, said, “It was because Sudarshan alerted us that we did not eat rice and sambhar. A teacher also told us not to eat anything.”

Another student Karthik told The Hindu, "If Sudarshan had not alerted us, we would have eaten the rice & sambar, and fallen ill."

It was the hostel warden’s day off. A teacher and an attendant were monitoring the students. The teacher on duty, Vijay, had doubts whether the problem was in the sambar. “The same food was sent to the school secretary's house on Wednesday around 8.30 p.m.,” he said.