School principal and husband charged with murder after 23 children died from food poisoning

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http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/india/murder-charges-filed-indian-school-poisonings

A school principal in Patna, India and her husband have been charged with murder after 23 children died from eating pesticide-contaminated lunches in July at the school, police said today (Oct 22).

The trial of Meena Kumari and her husband is expected to begin soon, said police officer Varun Kumar Sinha. They were arrested and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Investigating police officer Raj Kaushal said the principal’s husband, opposition lawmaker Arjun Rai, stored pesticide at the school that was for use at his agricultural farm. The charge sheet filed in a court in Bihar state on Sunday said the chef cooked with it by mistake.

Both denied the charges and told police there was no deliberate act on their part.

The school’s cooks have told authorities that the principal controlled the food for the government-provided free daily lunch. One of the cooks told police investigators that the cooking oil appeared different than usual, but that the principal told her to use it anyway.

The children who died were between ages 5 and 12.