Court issues arrest warrant against escaping principal for food poisoning in north India

PATNA, India, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A local court of northern Indian state of Bihar's Saran district issued an arrest warrant against an escaping school principal on Monday, six days after 23 children in her school died after eating poisoned midday meal.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Narendra Mohan issued the warrant of arrest for the principal, Meena Devi, who is reported to be responsible for the midday meal in which pesticide has been found.

"Raids are being made at different places based on clues about absconding school principal Meena Devi and her husband Arjun Rai, but we have not been able to nab them so far," Saran Superintendent of Police Sujeet Kumar told local media.

Some 100 students ate the free midday meal of rice, pulses and soy beans last week at the school, out of which more than 50 fell sick. Now about 25 children are still treated at hospital in Panta, capital of Bihar state.

The free midday meal scheme in India is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. It is aimed at combating hunger and boosting school attendance. The scheme caters to 120 million children in 1.2 million government schools across the country.

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