Student alleges lizard in meal, staff eats it; internet says ‘they ate the evidence’ | VIDEO

(This report is based on information available through a publicly shared video and social media posts. The exact nature of the object found in the meal has not been independently verified by this publication. Content may be disturbing to some readers.)

Concerns about hostel mess hygiene resurfaced online this week after a student from the University Institute of Technology at RGPV in Bhopal claimed he discovered what he believed to be a lizard in his meal. A video of the confrontation between the student and mess staff has since gone viral, fuelling widespread discussion about food safety on campuses.

The footage, shared on X, shows the student questioning the staff about an unusual object in his plate, only for the employee to insist it was simply a piece of capsicum. The exchange quickly escalated when the staff member ate the piece in question to prove his point.

Student raises alarm over ‘unusual’ object

According to the clip posted by X user @gharkekalesh, the student noticed the object while eating a thali served with dal, vegetables and roti. In the video, he is heard telling the staff: "Bhai saab, yeh kya hai, dekh lo." (Brother, please see what this is.)

The mess worker responds: "Shimla mirch hai yaar." (It's capsicum, man.)

The student, unconvinced, replies, "Yeh pahu hai iske. Chipkali hai, uski aankh nikal rahi thi." (This is its skin. It's a lizard, its eye was popping out.)

To counter the allegation, the staff member takes a bite of the supposed lizard piece, asserting it is nothing more than capsicum. The post accompanying the video reads: "UIT RGPV Bhopal: A student allegedly claimed that there was a lizard in his mess food. When he complained, the staff denied it, saying it was capsicum, and later ate it to prove their point."

Viral reactions and social media frenzy

The unusual nature of the exchange prompted swift reactions online, with social media users responding with disbelief, humour and frustration at the state of hostel food safety.

Among the comments circulating widely was: "Complaint redressal itna aggressive tha ki evidence bhi kha gaye (The complaint redressal was so aggressive that they even ate the evidence)." Another read: "When your defence strategy is literally to 'eat' the crime scene."

Some commenters turned the moment into satire, with one saying, “Forget the lizard - the real story is the staff member who has apparently evolved to a point where they can digest reptiles just to win an argument… If you can eat a lizard to prove it's capsicum, you've officially transcended human logic.”

Another wrote: "Mess ka menu: capsicum or lizard? The staff did a live taste test to prove their point… This mess food controversy has turned education into a circus."

Others summed up the incident bluntly: "When the hostel mess turns into a survival reality show."

One user echoed the public confusion: "Everyone watching the video is confused - I'm confused too. Was it a lizard or a piece of capsicum?"

While the video’s humour drew attention, many viewers pointed out that the incident highlights long-standing concerns around hostel mess conditions, from poorly prepared meals to unsanitary kitchen practices.