Madras HC grants bail to staff of Vikravandi school where LKG student died after falling into septic tank
The incident occurred when Liya Lakshmi, an LKG student, slipped and fell into a septic tank on the school premises. The iron lid over the tank was barely covering it and was fully rusty.
Madras High Court (File)
CHENNAI: In a development in the case regarding the death of a four-year-old girl after she fell into the uncovered septic tank on the premises of St Mary's matriculation school at Vikravandi, the Madras High Court granted conditional bail to the correspondent, principal, and other staff.
Justice AD Jagadish Chandira allowed the bail plea of school correspondent Emelda, school principal Dominic Mary, and teacher Angel, on the condition to appear before Mylapore police station for one week. In addition, the judge directed the correspondent and principal to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to the parents of the deceased kid.
Liyalakshmi, a four-year-old girl, studying at St Mary's matriculation school, fell into an uncovered septic tank on the school premises on January 3. Around noon, the management started searching for the girl as she was not present in the classroom and later they found her fallen into the septic tank. The management fished her out of the septic tank and rushed her to Mundiyambakkam government hospital, however, the doctor declared her dead on arrival.
Based on the complaint lodged by the girl’s father, Vikravandi police registered a case against the correspondent, principal, and class teacher under section 105 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Aggrieved by the criminal case, the accused moved the bail plea before the HC as the principal sessions court, Villupuram dismissed their bail petitions.
The petitioners submitted that it was an unexpected and unfortunate accident and there was no negligence on the part of school management. They contended that the kid had left the class for the toilet without informing the class teacher and the septic tank was covered with a metal sheet guarded by a one-and-a-half-foot compound wall. They further said a wire fence had been erected around the tank for the safety of the school students.
However, the girl passed through the wire fence and fell into the tank accidentally, said the petitioners. Pointing out that there was no negligence on the part of them, the petitioners assured they would cooperate for the investigation, and sought for the bail.
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