Fire mishap case committed to Sessions Court for trial

Kumbakonam, July 12 (UNI) The tragic fire mishap case in which 94 school children were killed in 2004, was today committed to the Thanjavur Sessions Court for trial.

The Sessions Court would decide the court in which the trial proceedings would be conducted.

While committing the case to the Sessions Court, Kumbakonam Judicial Magistrate (JM) Kinsley Christopher directed all the 24 accused to appear before the JM Court here on August two, when they would be told about the court where the trial would be conducted.

All the accused were present in the court when the matter came up for hearing today, a week after the copies of the charge sheet were furnished to them.

The copies of the volumnious 3,126 page charge sheet were furnished to the accused on July four.

All the accused and approver Prabhakaran (former headmaster of the school) were present in the court today.

The charge sheet in the case, which shook the entire country, was filed on July seven last year citing 490 witnesses and 60 documents.

In all, 25 people have been cited as accused, of which one of them had turned approver.

Initially, police had arrested 18 people, including School Correspondent Pulavar Palaniswamy and Muthu Palaniswamy, who was then Chief Educational Officer of Thanjavur District, immediately after the incident.

Seven more people were added to the list of accused in the course of investigation.

Charges under Sec 120 (B), 304, 108 and 338 of the IPC have been registered against them.

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