Case in Bihar court against K.K. Pathak, two other Education Department officials after death of students

Patna: In wake of the death of three school students due to severe cold in Bihar, a criminal case was filed in the Muzaffarpur district courton Thursday against Additional Chief Secretary, Education, KK Pathak, Director Kanhaiya Prasda Srivastava and district education officer Ajay Kumar Singh.

The case was filed by senior lawyer Sushil Kumar Singh in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, under IPC’s Section of 304A and the hearing of this case will be held on February 3.

“We have filed a case against K.K. Pathak, Kanhaiya Prasad Srivastava, and Ajay Kumar Singh as they have forcibly opened the government schools. It is a well-planned conspiracy which comes under the category of crime. The court has admitted the case and given the next date on February 3,” Singh said.

“These officers are accused of conspiring against the poor student. Who goes to the government schools. It is the poor students who do not have clothes on their body. Mohammad Qurban, a student of Ragho Majhauli middle school under Bochaha block, died due to the severe cold wave. We have the case against those officials responsible for the death of Mohammad Qurban.

“The cold waves this session has broken the records of several years but these officials forced the teachers to open schools. They also applied pressure on the students to come to schools or they would remove their names,” he added.

Besides Muzaffarpur, a Class 6 student died during the morning prayers in the primary school in Srighana village under Kajra block in Lakhisarai district. Another student died in Aurangabad district as well.

Besides three students, a head constable of Gopalganj named Shambhu Rai, 45, died due to cold on Wednesday night. A farmer of Simri Ramopatti village in Buxar district named Chandradeep Ram also died due to cold waves while Nageshwar Thakur, 52, of Saran district died due to the same reason.

–IANS