Manjur, the girl’s father

Ranchi, July 22: A six-year-old girl died after she fell into a vessel in which midday meal was being cooked in a school in a village not too far from Ranchi, residents said today.

But police said they could not verify the version because the villagers were not allowing the child’s body to be exhumed for a post-mortem.

Villagers of Kolya Kandu near Pithoria, 20km from Ranchi, blamed teachers of the Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya for Afsari Parveen’s death and have locked up the school.

The midday meal scheme in the country, despite shortcomings, has largely been considered a success, playing a key role in drawing several poor children to the education stream.

Md Shamim, leading a group of vocal villagers, told The Telegraph that Afsari was in queue with other children to take her meal on Monday. The vessel in which the meal was being cooked was in front of them and no teacher was present.

“While the children were jostling with each other to get their share, Afsari, who was in front, fell into the vessel,” he alleged. “We rushed her to a nursing home but she died of burns later in the evening.”

Soon after the incident, the villagers decided to bury the child. Her parents agreed and the burial was carried out without informing the police or the school principal, Shila Khess.

“I have lost my child and do not want more controversy. I do not want to blame anybody, neither teachers nor anyone else,” said Afsari’s father, Md Manjur.

The police came to know of the incident yesterday and went there today to investigate. But hundreds of villagers, armed with traditional weapons, prevented them from venturing near the spot where she had been buried.

Throughout the day, villagers stood guard on the road leading to Pithoria and did not allow anyone to reach Kolya Kandu.

“We’ve registered a case of unnatural death. If the villagers jointly give us a letter saying that they do not want a post-mortem, we will give up the idea of exhuming the body,” said Pithoria police station officer-in-charge Anil Kumar.

Local opposition cannot be a reason for the police not to pursue a probe. Former advocate-general A.K. Sinha said the police could not desist from carrying out an investigation. “The police are mandated to collect evidence to investigate the case under section 154 of CrPC after an FIR is lodged. Exhuming the body is part of collecting evidence.”

The director of primary education, D.K. Saxena, said the incident appeared to be a case of gross negligence on the part of teachers. “I have been told that nobody was attending to the students while the meal was to be distributed,” he said.

Saxena has ordered the district education officer, P. Choubey, to conduct an inquiry and send a report so that action can be taken against those responsible. Choubey did visit the school today, but refused to comment.