The Headmaster and male Warden of the ashram school in Japtalai, where three girl students had died following snake-bite, were arrested on Thursday. Both, Headmaster Prashant Tatpalliwar (51), and Warden Bhashkar Bhoyar (50), were produced before the court in Gadchiroli in the afternoon where they were remanded of them to magisterial custody of 15 days, informed Dhanora SDPO Pande, who is investigating the case. Meanwhile, former MP Marotrao Kowase, President of Kuparlingo Sanstha which runs the ashram school, and his son Vishwajeet Kowase, Secretary, have been made co-accused in the case. An offence under sections 106 (1), 125 (A), 125 (B), 3 of the BNS and Section 15 of the Juvenile Justice Act were registered against the three employees of the ashram school after six girls suffered snake-bite in the hostel in the night of August 9-10. Three of the girls succumbed to the attack. It was later revealed that all the girls were sleeping on the floor.

 

It may be noted that permission of the school has already been cancelled by the State Government and the arrangement of the shifting the students to another school is being made by the administration. Co-Guardian Minister Adv Ashish Jaiswal and Tribal Development Minister Dr Ashok Uike visited the school and took information of the incident. Meanwhile many of parents have taken their children back to their homes after the incident.