Chargesheet filed in Bihar midday-meal tragedy case

Three months after 23 children died after eating contaminated meals, a chargesheet has been filed against the suspended principal and her husband in the midday meal tragedy in a primary school at Dharmasati Gandaman village of Saran district.

The chargesheet was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Anil Kumar Jha two days ago charging the principal Meena Devi and her husband Arjun Rai under section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC for causing death of 23 students and illness of 30 others due to consumption of poisoned midday meal, Superintendent of Police Varun Kumar Sinha said.

Sinha said that he had written a letter to the Public Prosecutor Ajit Kumar Singh requesting him to impress upon the court to conduct a speedy trial in the case.

Sinha said that the 346-page chargesheet had been filed within the stipulated 90 days after the arrest of the suspended school principal, but a supplementary charge sheet would be filed in due course of time as the probe was still on.

As many as 23 students, all minors, had died after consuming poisonous midday meal in the school and several others were taken ill and brought to the Patna Medical College and Hospital on July 16 last.

Apprehending arrest, Devi and her husband had gone underground, but the former was arrested a week after the incident that had shocked the country.

Her husband surrendered before a court last month.

Both the accused persons are presently lodged in a jail in Chapra.

Image: Villagers in front of a school stand next to the grave of a child who died after consuming contaminated meals in Bihar’s Chapra district

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters