Gao Rui, 23, a private dealer of the campus cafeteria of Changchun University, northeast China's Jilin Province, had been detained because he was found responsible for Wednesday's poisoning case in the university, said police sources Saturday.
Police investigations showed Gao put poisonous nitrite into the salt jar of another dealer Wang Lishan's kitchen on Tuesday night. Gao confessed he did it for revenge because he had some disputes with Wang and Wang's business was much better than his.
Altogether 139 college students were sickened after eating Wang's breakfast food Wednesday morning. They suffered from nausea, sickness, fever and some fell into coma.
Doctors confirmed the food contained nitrite and the cafeteria was closed immediately by the local police.
The affected students were soon sent to hospital and received medical treatment. They were in stable condition now and no casualties were reported.
(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2004)
