[ Apasi Linggi and Kara Gambo ]
MODEL VILLAGE, 21 Dec: Hundreds of people from all walks of life joined a candlelight march here on Saturday, seeking justice for the three Class 9 students of St Alphonsa School in Model Village who lost their lives in the school’s assembly hall last Saturday when an overhead water tank collapsed on the students.
The deceased are Ekam Bagang, Rei Dol and Marsu Dubi.
Class 6 student Licha Buttum underwent major leg surgery, while Class 8 student Toko Dolum also sustained injuries in the incident. All the students were about to write their exams on that day – 14 December – a second Saturday.
The vigil was organised by the parents and guardians of the deceased and the students who survived the incident.
They expressed dismay over the bail granted to four individuals who were arrested in connection with the case, and said that keeping the principal in judicial custody is just an eye wash. They demanded that all the accused, particularly the owner of the school,Kapa Rai, be rearrested.
A case [u/s 105/106(1)/125(b)/3(5) BNS] was registered at the Naharlagun police station in this regard.
The school’s principal, Madathilparambil Andrew Cherian, is in judicial custody for 11 days, and the other four – Rai, hostel wardens Gaurav Gogoi and Dicky Kumar and teacher Kaushik Chetry – were arrested and were granted bail less than 24 hours later.
On Friday, during a press conference, the parents of the deceased and the surviving students sought Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Education minister PD Sona and Home Minister Mama Natung’s intervention in the matter. (The reporters are interning with this daily. They are both BA fifth semester mass communication students of St Claret College, Ziro.)
