As many as 12 students of the government primary school were admitted to the hospital after they complained of vomiting and stomach ache, after drinking water from the school tank in Hoolikatti village near Saundatti in Belagavi district on Monday. All are out of danger, doctors said.

The police suspect that miscreants had mixed pesticide in the water before school hours. There are 41 students in the school. Apart from the students and the staff, residents of 20 houses near the school depend on the water from the tank.

Some residents said that they had drawn water from the tank at 6 a.m., but they faced no problem using it. The act of sabotage may have taken place after that hour, they told the police.

A police officer told reporters that the impact of the pesticide was lessened owing to the high volume of water in the tank.

Leelavati Hiremath, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, and District Health Officer Ishwar Gadad visited the hospital and met parents of the students.

Gram panchayat and Health Department officials visited the spot. A case has been registered.