Snakebite case: Students continue protests

Students of the state-run vocational higher secondary school near here continued their protest on Monday demanding strong action against the teachers responsible for the death of a fifth standard student due to snake bite inside her classroom on November 20.

While the investigating police officers visited the school and hospitals to record the statement with regard to the incident, the Mananthavady Municipality began a cleaning drive at the school.

The students demanded that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) be disbanded and strong action be taken against the teachers responsible for 10-year-old Shehala's death.

"We are not seeking dismissal of other teachers. We don't want everyone to be ousted. We want those teachers responsible for the incident to be ousted.

The present PTA must also be disbanded," a student said.

The investigating team headed by Manathavadi ASP Vaibhav Saxena visited the Vythiri Good Shepherd hospital and recorded the evidence of doctors.

The team also visited the school and recorded statements of teachers and students.

The State has been witnessing protests against the school authorities who had allegedly failed to ensure that Shehala was rushed to hospital on time.

The probe team met the medical board to ascertain whether delay in treatment caused the death or not.

Meanwhile, the forest department conducted a search and capture operation at the school to find any snakes in the school compound.

Police baton-charged activits of the Kerala Students Union (KSU), the congress' student outfit in the state, when they tried to barge into the residence of Education Minister C Raveendranath at Thrissure.

Three school officials, including the principal and the vice principal, have already been suspended.

The local-self government ministry has issued an order to all panchayats to urgently complete pending repair and cleaning works of schools in their jurisdiction.

An all party meeting held here Sunday decided to demolish the dilapidated classroom and construct a new one.

The meeting also decided to provide counselling to the students and asked school authorities not to take any vengeful action against childrend who had voiced protest against the school management over the death.