Fire mishap case shifted to Sessions Court for trial

Kumbakonam, July 12 (UNI) The stage is set for trial in the sensational fire mishap case in which 94 school children were killed, with a Judicial Magistrate court transferring the case to a Sessions Court in Thanjavur.

When the matter came up for hearing today, a week after the copies of the chargesheet were furnished to the accused, Kumbakonam Judicial Magistrate Kinsley Christopher said the case was being shifted to the Sessions court for trial and adjourned the case to August 22.

He also directed all the 24 accused to appear before the Sessions Court on that day.

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

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

The chargesheet 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 the 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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