8 days after Bihar meal tragedy, principal held

After a week-long manhunt, Bihar police today arrested the principal of the primary school where 23 students had died last week after consuming free mid-day meal laced with a poisonous pesticide. HT reports. People from outside Bihar behind mid-day meal tragedy: Nitish

After a week-long manhunt, Bihar police on Wednesday arrested the principal of the primary school where 23 students had died last week after consuming free mid-day meal laced with a poisonous pesticide.

HT Image

Saran superintendent of police Sujit Kumar said that Meena Devi – principal of the Dharmasati primary school in Gandaman – was arrested by members of the special investigation team (SIT) at around 1pm on Wednesday while she was on her way to a court in Chhapra to file for anticipatory bail.

Meena Devi, who had gone underground after the incident, has been charged with gross negligence in running the mid-day meal scheme leading to contamination of the cooking oil with organo-phosphorous, which ultimately killed 23 students on July 16.

She was named as an accused in the FIR, registered under IPC under Sections 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy). Read: Bihar: 3 lakh teachers to boycott mid-day meal plan

The scattered belongings of children who consumed a free mid day meal, are seen in Dharma Sati village in the Saran district of Bihar. (AFP photo)

Her husband, who is still absconding, supplied the school with the raw material for the mid-day meal scheme.

The arrest coincided with the decision of the three lakh-strong Bihar primary school teachers deciding to pull out of the mid-day meal scheme saying that should be engaged only in academic work. Read: KMC rustles up a plan to ensure safe mid-day meals