10 convicted in Kumbakonam school fire case

94 children had lost their lives in the tragedy

The judgment has come a decade after the occurence of the accident at the Sri Krishna Middle School on July 16, 2004. The fire at the accident raged for an hour killing 94 children

A local court in Thanjavur has found 10 persons guilty while acquitting 11 others in the Kumbakonam school fire accident that took place a decade ago claiming the lives of 94 children and injuring 18. The court sentenced the founder of school to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 51 lakh.

It also sentenced nine others to jail, including representatives school and government officials for five years and one engineer for two years. Principal district and sessions Judge Mohammed Ali today pronounced the verdict amid tight security as parents and relatives of the deceased children assembled outside the premises.

Of the convicted, five persons were held guilty under various IPC sections including 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), and provisions of Tamil Nadu Recognised Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973.

Those who were given five years imprisonment are school owner’s wife Saraswathi, headmistress Santhanalakshmi, noon meal centre in-charge Vijayalakshmi, cook Vasanthi, then State government officials - Balaji, Sivaprakasam, Thandavan and Durairaj. School building engineer Jayachandran has been sentenced to a two-year jail term.

“We have been waiting for the verdict for the past 10 years. We had expected punishment for all the 21 accused. We urge the state government to go on appeal against those acquitted,” said a parent.

Though cases were lodged against officials from the school and the state government, the case has been lingering for years. However, the trial took pace soon after charges were framed against the 21 accused in 2012.

In the case, around 230 prosecution witnesses were examined, while charges were dropped against C Palanisamy,  chief educational officer at Thanjavur, S Paramasivam, then tehsildar of Kumbakonam, and A Kannan, past director of elementary education. The headmaster of Sri Krishna girls high school Prabhakaran turned approver in the case.

The judgment has come a decade after the occurence of the accident at the Sri Krishna Middle School on July 16, 2004. The fire at the accident raged for an hour killing 94 children.

The fire broke out in the school’s thatched noon meal centre in the first floor. There were around 200 students in the class room that caught fire. Reports stated there were some other schools functioning from the same premises, including Sri Krishna aided private school, Saraswathi nursery and primary school and the Sri Krishna girls high school. The school building had inadequate exit routes for the children to escape and the gates were locked when the accident happened.

About 700 students were studying in these schools. The police had charge-sheeted 21 persons under various Sections of IPC including 304 (culpable homicide not amounting murder).