Patna/Chhapra, July 20: The Rai family, to which headmistress Meena Devi belongs, not only owned the grocery store, but an entire commercial complex in Masrakh near Chhapra, where they had more than a dozen shops, thanks to their closeness to local RJD leaders.
Meena Devi is still absconding, and her residence, located 100 metres from Dharmasati primary school, is locked after being ransacked.
A brief about the headmistress' career: Meena Devi had her first posting as a panchayat-level teacher in Bahuaara primary school in 2007. The primary school was later upgraded to middle school, and she got her promotion as block-level teacher. She was transferred to an upgraded middle school in Gandaman.
On March 5, 2011, despite a stay on fresh transfers, the block education officer in Masrakh transferred Meena Devi 'on deputation' to the newly created primary school in Dharmasati bazar, located in a single-room community hall, located 100 metres away from her residence.
After the tragedy, police seized 50 kg rice in a bag, and another bag containing 15 kg rice. Some vegetables were kept in a basket and Shivaji kachhi Ghani mustard oil tin was also found. All these were seized, and the chief judicial magistrate has ordered that they be sent to forensic lab for tests.
The raw food for midday meals were being purchased from the grocery store belonging to Harendra Rai, cousin of Meena's husband Arjun Rai. Arjun Rai, a local level RJD activist, does not own any grocery store but he has a market complex in Masrakh, rented out to more than a dozen shops. Harendra Rai's grocery store is also inside this complex. There are some more shops owned by Dhruv Rai, driver-cum-bodyguard of a former RJD MP.
Meanwhile, as victims fight for their life inside Patna Medical College Hospital, Akhilanand Mishra, who has lost is son, has filed an FIR in Mashrak police station, and charges of murder have been slapped against Meena Devi.
Police have video-recorded the statements of both the cooks Manju Devi and Panno Devi, which are considered vital. Panno Devi's two children, Suman, 11, and Rohit,4, died after eating the poisonous curry, while on way from Chhapra to Patna. Panno Devi is still inside the ICU.
She has told investigators that she was ill that day, and after cooking rice and dal, she slept on the floor, while Manju Devi cooked the poisonous curry of potatoes and soyabean. She said, a school student "brought cooking oil from Ma'am and give it to Manju to cook". The curry that was cooked from 9:30 am ended by noon, and soon after the kids ate, one after one fell dead, or became unconscious.
