Patna, Aug. 9: Inconsistencies in statements given to police and during the polygraph test have put a poser on the role of the principal of Gandaman Primary School Meena Devi in the midday meal tragedy.

Though the police did not divulge the findings of the polygraph test conducted on the principal, which are yet to be submitted to the court, sources said the two statements differed on many counts.

Sources added that Meena had told the police that she had not pressurised the children to consume the meal after they complained of a foul smell. The polygraph test, however, revealed that Meena had coerced the children to do so.

She told interrogators: “I used to taste the cooked meal occasionally,” but during her lie detection test, she admitted never eating the meal before it was served to the schoolchildren.

Meena’s statements also differed on the purchase of raw food materials from a grocery shop for preparing the midday meal. Her statement on the storage of the raw materials in her house also didn’t match with that given to the police during interrogation, sources said.

Inspector-general (IG) of police (CID) Vinay Kumar, when contacted, confirmed that the report of the polygraph test has been handed over to the special investigation team (SIT).

The IG, who has been assigned to monitor the police investigation, however, said: “I have not gone through the report. So it would not be prudent to comment on the findings of the lie detection test conducted on the school principal right now.”

Saran superintendent of police Sujeet Kumar, heading the SIT, was not available for comment. “Sahib (SP) is sick,” said a policeman, who received the call at his official residence.

A police officer, assigned to bring the forensic report from the CBI’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), New Delhi, returned to Chhapra, the district headquarters town of Saran on Friday.

The polygraph test was conducted on Meena on August 1 under the supervision of two forensic experts of the CBI’s CFSL, New Delhi. The team was expected to submit the report on Wednesday but they took more time to analyse the data.

Sources said the SIT and forensic experts framed 40-45 questions for the test, which was conducted for two days with the court’s permission. Meena is lodged in Saran divisional jail, while her husband, Arjun Rai, is absconding.