Bengaluru: While the Tumakuru police continues its investigation into the death of three students of the Vidyavaridhi International School in Chikkanayajanahalli village due to suspected food poisoning early Thursday morning, its chairman and former BJP legislator, Kiran Kumar and his wife, Kavitha are absconding.
Tumakuru Superintendent of Police, Isha Pant said special teams had been formed to find the couple, who appeared to have fled after an angry mob tried to assault them, holding them responsible for the tragic death of the three students.
Going by the officer, the residential school was being run illegally as the management had obtained permission to offer a CBSE syllabus but not to run a boarding for students.
Meanwhile, the police, who are working to establish the cause of deaths of the three children, have sent food samples from the school’s kitchen to two laboratories and is awaiting their reports.
“The cook has given a statement that he had prepared the food in the afternoon and no one had fallen ill on consuming it at the time. It is too early to say anything more as the case is still being investigated from different angles, including the conspiracy theory floated by the management. The school will be shut till the preliminary investigation is completed,” Ms Pant added.
Finding it hard to come to terms with the tragic deaths of the children, villagers here alleged the police had helped Mr Kiran Kumar and his wife go into hiding and the couple could apply for anticipatory bail to evade arrest. They also feared the former legislator could use his political influence to escape action in the case.
No permission to run hostel
A day after three students died under mysterious circumstances in a residential school in Tumakuru, the Vidyavaridhi International School, Huliyaru, questions are being raised on the safety of food prepared and supplied to the kids staying in the residential schools which are mushrooming across the state.
According to the sources, state government is likely to come out with a new policy on safety of kids in hostel keeping in mind Thursday’s incident.
As per the report sent by the DDPI to the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), while the school was affiliated to CBSE, the hostel was run without any permission.
