Chhapra/Patna, Jul 18: As investigators led by the Bihar DGP Abhayanand pieced together forensic evidence on the deadly midday meal served at the primary school in Chhapra, reports came of even two crows, a dog and a cow dying after eating the thrown poisonous soyabean curry that has so far taken a toll of 27 school kids.
Local residents who lost their kids are baying for the scalp of Meena Devi, the primary school principal, whose husband Arjun Rai and brother-in-law Dhruv Rai are local RJD leaders.
Manju, the 28-year-old widow, who cooked the soyabean curry for the midday meal, told India TV reporter Nitish Chandra in Patna Medical College Hospital that the principal Meena Devi never ate the midday meal served to the kids.
Manju said, the poisonous cooking oil, rice and dal did not come from Dhruv Rai's grocery store, but from the local shop at Dharmasati bazaar.
She described how while making the soyabean curry, a foul odour emanated from the smoke, but the teacher asked her to carry on cooking and serve the kids.
Eight kids belonging to Manju's immediate family ate the poisonous meal and are now fighting for life. Manju, who had herself tasted a portion of the meal, is now out of danger and the police is waiting to take her statement.
The courtyard of the one-room Samudayik Bhavan (community hall) functioned as the kitchen for the local primary school. Midday meal was normally prepared for 150 kids, but on deadly Tuesday, midday meal was made for 80 kids.
There has been no election to the school committee for the last one year, with two groups, one led by the principal's brother-in-law Dhruv Rai and the other consisting of local parents vying for posts.
Manju Devi's husband Ravindra Rai died 5 years ago, and she got the job of cook on compassionate grounds. Her two sons Abhishek, 12, Aditya, 10 and Khushi Kumari, 5, are battling for life in hospital.
Meanwhile the principal Meena Devi, who lives in the neighbourhood, has locked her house and fled alongwith other family members. Local residents ransacked her house on Tuesday soon after the tragedy and tried to torch the house. Case under Sec 302, 307 IPC has been lodged against her.
On Wednesday, one of the parents Satyendra Rai and wife Mati Devi, buried their dead son Rahul in front of the school gate.
