Death toll in mid-day meal tragedy mounts to 22, Bihar govt suspects poisoning

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Chhapra/Madhubani: The mid-day meal death toll in Bihar's Saran district rose to 22 with two more children falling victims on Wednesday after consumption of free food sparking violent protests amid suspicions by the state government it was poisoned.
In a related incident, about 50 students of a government middle school in Madhubani district fell ill after having food under the midday meal scheme.
The food was served to children of Navtolia Middle School, Bisfi, about 22 km from Madhubani, amid allegations by the students that a dead lizard was found in the meal.
"The oil used to cook the vegetables was foul-smelling. Doctors found the presence of organic phosphorus in the food and vomit. It means the children were poisoned," Bihar education minister P.K. Shahi told reporters speaking on the Chhapra incident in Patna.
'Clear case of poisoning': Minister hints at RJD involvement 
Shahi did not rule out foul play and said investigations will determine whether the poisoning was accidental or deliberate.
"The deaths were not due to food poisoning but it's a clear case of mixing poison in food," Shahi said.
He said doctors attending the students at Chhapra sadar hospital have reported that the children had died due to the presence of poisonous organic phosphorous in the food. "From where did this organic phosphorous come in the food given to students as part of the mid-day meal scheme?," he asked. Shahi suspected the poisoning to be caused by insecticides in vegetable or rice.
The minister asked and told the police to investigate the matter.
The minister hinted at the involvement of opposition RJD in the tragedy though he did not make any direct reference. "Arjun Rai, the husband of the school headmistress, had supplied the food material for themidday meal. He is an active member of a party and cousin of local leader Dhruv Rai of Mashrakh, who is close to a prominent leader of a party (RJD)," he said.
Rai, Shahi said, owns the grocery shop from where the materials were taken by the school headmistress Meena Devi for the midday meal scheme. Besides, the headmistress was posted at the school under pressure 'from a particular party'.
Block education officer Pramod Kumar, who is under suspension now, had appointed her as headmistress in-charge of the school. The minister said, "Some people seem to be in a hurry to capture power anyhow and in persuading this ambition they are indulging in inhuman acts like the present tragedy." The couple is absconding and an FIR has been lodged in Mashrakh police station against Meena Devi.
'Food turns killer'
The 'food has turned killer', screamed a woman, whose two sons were among the victims, as a pall of gloom hung over Dandaman village.
While 16 children, aged below 10 years and studying in Class I to V, had died in Chhapra itself, four others were declared dead on arrival at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) late Tuesday night. Two died at the hospital Wednesday morning, official and PMCH sources said. Twenty five others are under medical supervision in PMCH, Superintendent of PMCH Amarkant Jha Azad said.
There were emotional scenes as children, with their limbs dangling and heads drooping to one side, were brought to a hospital.
The tragedy took place at the government primary school in Dahrmasati Gandawan village at Mashrakh block, about 25 km from Chhapra and 60 km from Patna on Tuesday.
Bandh turns violent
Police said that during the violent protests three police vehicles were damaged by agitators during a bandh call in Saran district over the deaths.
Three police vehicles and one belonging to the circle officer were damaged in Mashrakh block, where the school is located, Saran Superintendent of Police Sujit Kumar said.
In the district headquarters at Chapra, the protesters targeted a police bus used for carrying prisoners and broke its glasses. They also damaged one police checkpost, official sources said. The day-long Saran bandh call has been given separately by three parties - RJD, BJP and LJP.
Complained of bad taste, head mistress asked us to finish meal: Student
Doctors said the ailing children were admitted to ICU of the paediatric department and senior doctors were attending to them round-the-clock.
One girl Kanti Kumari, a student of class IV and admitted at paediaric ward of PMCH, recalled that when the students did not take much food complaining bad taste on Tuesay, the school principal allegedly rebuked them and asked them to finish the meal.
"As we felt pain in stomach the head mistress asked us to go home and I fell unconscious on way back," she said.
The woman cook Manju Devi, who is also being treated at PMCH, said the materials for cooking meal was provided to her by the husband of the principal.
A Chapra report said that angry villagers attacked the government primary school at Dharmasatii Gandavan village in Mashrakh block and broke furniture and the oven on which the meal was cooked. The head mistress of the school is absconding with her family. 
Madhubani students 'out of danger'
In the Madhubani incident, around 50 students complained of stomach ache and began vomitting after eating the midday meal and were then rushed to Bisfi health centre, according to the medical officer in-charge A.K. Prabhat.
"All the students are out of danger," he said.
Except for seven children, rest of them have been discharged from the health centre, he said, adding seven students, five of them girls, are being administered saline water.
Next: Blame game on; Nitish Kumar comes under fire

Blame game on; Nitish Kumar comes under fire
Describing the incident as 'tragic', RJD supremo Lalu Prasad blamed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the deaths of innocents.
The RJD chief told reporters at PMCH that despite regular complaints about midday meal scheme in different parts of the state the Nitish Kumar government initiated no action.
"Nitish Kumar is busy saving his chair and fighting with its earstwhile NDA partner BJP and has left masses on mercy of god," Prasad said.
Amid the political blame game, JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi alleged there is a 'big conspiracy' to destabilise the Bihar government.
BJP Vice President C.P. Thakur, himself a doctor, who visited PMCH, told reporters it appears to be a case of acute poisoning. He said as per reports traces of organo phoshphrous have been found in the meal served to children which is poisonous. 
Demanding action against the accused, Bihar Congress chief Ashok Chaudhary said at PMCH that his party has in the past pointed irregularities in midday meal scheme in the state. 
Hitting out at Nitish Kumar government, the state PCC chief said the Bihar government cannot escape the blame and should initiate action against the district administration for handling the situation in an 'insensitive' manner. 
Some women groups staged protest in Patna and also attacked the Midday meal scheme state office. The agitated women broke flower pots in the office and also damaged table, chair and other properties. 
Youth Congress workers led by its former state president Lallan Kumar and youth leader Rohit Kumar burnt effigy of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at Dak Bunglow chowk in the state capital.