Cooch Behar, June 8: More than 2,000 people had put up a road blockade and gheraoed Saheb Mohammed High School at Rashidanga in Kotwali after over 12.5 quintals of rice in sacks meant for mid-day meals were found in an adjoining pond this morning.

The villagers alleged that the teachers, including the headmaster, who had come to the school — closed for summer vacation — last week when the results of Madhyamik examinations were published, dumped the rice. The headmaster, Khagen Chandra Debnath, had engaged three labourers for the job.

Alarmed by the stench emanating from the pond, the people started an inquiry. The labourers engaged by the headmaster told the villagers that they had dumped the sacks at the instance of Debnath.

Basur Uddin, father of a student, alleged that the teachers used to sell the rice in the open market to buy snacks for themselves. Since they could not sell the excess rice in the open market because of the summer vacation, they disposed of the rice.

The headmaster said about 60kg of rice got rotten because of rainwater and that had to be dumped in the pond.

Secretary of the school managing committee Abdul Karim said Debnath had never told him anything about the rice being dumped. District inspector of schools Shankar Prasad Roy, who ordered a probe, said action would be taken against the guilty.