Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Husband of Gandaman Primary School principal surrendered before a Chhapra court on Monday after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him and the court was to issue orders to attach his property.
Arjun Rai alias Arjun Yadav,husband of Mina Devi,surrendered before the court of chief judicial magistrate and was remanded to 14 days in judicial custody. Though no case was made out against Rai,the Special Investigation Team had been granted permission to question him in connection with the tragedy. Twenty three children died on June 16 after eating a midday meal at the school. Post-mortem and forensic reports had concluded presence of agricultural pesticide Monocrotophos in the food.
The SIT team on Monday requested Chhapra court to allow Rais custody and for a polygraph test to be conducted on him. Mina Devi had told interrogators that it was her husband who looked after the midday meal on her behalf. Arjun Rai,a farmer,was suspected to have kept agricultural pesticide at his house and had used the same in his sugarcane field three weeks before the incident.
The police have already conducted a polygraph test on Mina Devi. Though the results were not made public,sources said the police did have any vital clues. Rais interrogation would be crucial as he is the only witness who can provide some clues in solving the case, said a police officer. The state had hinted at a political conspiracy behind the midday meal tragedy.
