Kumbakonam school tragedy: Final hearing on June 30

The Madras High Court today directed counsels concerned to give their written arguments in a criminal appeal case regarding the death of 94 children in a fire accident at a school in Kumbakonam in 2004.
A division bench of the court's Madurai bench comprising justices K K Sasidharan and P Gokudass directed the government and appellants to give their written arguments before June 24, and said the final hearing in the case would be held on June 30.
The fire tragedy on July 16, 2004 at Sri Krishna Government aided middle school also claimed the life of a teacher while 16 others were seriously injured.

In 2014, the Thanjavur Principal District and Sessions court held 10 people including the school correspondent, headmistress, cook and meal organiser guilty and acquitted 11 others.
The bench directed government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani
to see to it that the boy gets admission in any of the nearby schools.

"Take a list of schools the parents are also interested in. Explore the options and see to it that the child is admitted in one of the schools and starts attending classes from Monday," the court said.
Vagyani earlier told the court that the state education department has already issued directions to the principals of two schools in the vicinity to admit the boy in their school with immediate effect.

The court also asked the boy's father to not "misbehave" in the future with school management and principal and said, "You (father) cannot just go and abuse principals and teachers and level allegations against them. This is not the way."
The court posted the petition for further hearing on July 19 and said, "First let the boy get admitted to some school then we will go into the larger issue. There is a growing concern about allegations that schools are harassing children and expelling them.
"We will have to evolve a mechanism to put an end to this. We may ask the government to frame guidelines.