THANJAVUR: The Thanjavur District and Sessions Court on Wednesday awarded life sentence to Pulavar R Palanichamy (85), founder of the Kumbakonam school where a fire accident killed 94 children on July 16, 2004. Eight others, including the wife and daughter of Palanichamy, were awarded five years imprisonment, while 11 people were acquitted in the case.
Four officials of the Education Department, R Balaji (68), then District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO), S Sivaprakasam (59), then assistant in the DEEO’s office, T Thandavan (66), then Superintendent in the DEEO’s office, and G Durairaj (67), then personal assistant to the DEEO, were found guilty under section 467 (forgery of valuable security) read with 197 (issuing or signing false certificate) and were awarded five years of imprisonment.
On July 16, 2004, a fire broke out at the mid-day meal kitchen of Sri Krishna Girls Higher Secondary School, Sri Krishna Aided Primary School and Saraswathi Nursery and Primary School complex functioning in a single building, in violation of rules.
In the ghastly blaze, 94 children, who were sitting under the thatched roof, were charred to death. Eighteen others were grievously injured. The Thanjavur District and Sessions Court delivered the verdict after a long-drawn court battle stretching over a decade.