Rats found in cooking pots at IIT Roorkee mess, viral videos spark outrage. What the institute said

IIT Roorkee has strongly denied the allegations, calling the videos misleading. (Image: X)

A video purportedly showing rats in the kitchen of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee's Radha-Krishna Bhawan mess has gone viral, leading to widespread student protests. The footage, shared by students on social media, depicts rodents floating in cooking utensils and running through containers used for food preparation at the institute.

The disturbing scenes, which reportedly show rats inside bags of rice, frying pans, and pots filled with water, caused shock and concern among students. Some claimed they discovered the rats when they went to the mess for lunch on Thursday afternoon, raising fears that food prepared in the facility could have been contaminated by the rodents.

As the videos circulated, hundreds of students gathered outside the mess to demand immediate action and improvement of hygiene standards in the kitchen. Students expressed outrage, saying they were horrified at the thought of being served food potentially tainted by rats.

#iitroorkee pic.twitter.com/os0CK8Qgc0
Neha Bohra (@neha_suyal) October 17, 2024

However, IIT Roorkee has strongly denied the allegations, calling the videos misleading. In an official statement, the institute said, "Following the preliminary investigation into the incident reported at Radha-Krishna Bhawan mess, it has been clarified that the video circulating on social media was taken by students who entered the mess late at night. The footage shows rodents in a closed area of the mess where only empty utensils and non-edible items were stored. No food items were contaminated. The videos appear to be a deliberate attempt to misrepresent the situation."

Despite this clarification, the administration has launched a full investigation and pledged to take corrective measures. Sonika Shrivastava, IIT Roorkee's media in-charge, stated that external experts have been engaged to assess the situation and ensure that hygiene standards are strictly maintained. "The health and safety of the students remain the top priority. Immediate corrective action is being taken to prevent such incidents in the future," Shrivastava told India Today.