Commission examines parents

Justice K Venkataraman, the one-man commission appointed by Madras High Court to fix the extent and percentage of negligence in the 2004 Kumbakonam school fire tragedy that killed 94 children, today examined some of their parents here today.
He examined three parents.
Later he told reporters that they sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each with nine per cent interest from the date of the fire on July seven 2004.
The parents of the all the deceased and 18 injured children presented a petition to him for enhancement of compensation.
The next hearing would be conducted on January 23.

The High Court had on September 16 last year appointed Justice Venkatraman as the one man commission after Justice P Shanmugam, who was appointed earlier, recused himself citing unexpected health problems.

The court had asked the commission to submit its report as expeditiously as possible.
The Sessions Court in Thanjavur had on July 30 convicted and sentenced prime accused and founder of Sri Krishna Primary School, Pulavar R Palanisamy to life imprisonment and his wife and school administrator Saraswathi, headmistress Santha Lakshmi and Office Superintendent of District Education Office Thandavan to five years Rigorous Imprisonment and fine.
The court had convicted a total of 10 accused while acquitting 11 others, most of them government employees.