Thus far, there have been no arrests linked to the poisonings. (Representational)

Tehran:

An Iranian deputy minister on Sunday mentioned “some folks” have been poisoning schoolgirls within the holy metropolis of Qom with the goal of shutting down schooling for women, state media reported.

Since late November, a whole lot of instances of respiratory poisoning have been reported amongst schoolgirls primarily in Qom, south of Tehran, with some needing hospital remedy.

On Sunday the deputy well being minister, Younes Panahi, implicitly confirmed the poisonings had been deliberate.

“After the poisoning of a number of college students in Qom faculties, it was discovered that some folks needed all faculties, particularly women’ faculties, to be closed,” the IRNA state information company quoted Panahi as saying.

He didn’t elaborate. Thus far, there have been no arrests linked to the poisonings.

On February 14, mother and father of scholars who had been ailing had gathered exterior the town’s governorate to “demand an evidence” from the authorities, IRNA reported.

The subsequent day authorities spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi mentioned the intelligence and schooling ministries have been looking for the reason for the poisonings.

Final week, Prosecutor Common Mohammad Jafar Montazeri ordered a judicial probe into the incidents.

The poisonings come as Iran has been rocked by protests because the December 16 loss of life in custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini for an alleged violation of nation’s strict costume code for ladies.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)