The family of a Class VII student, who tragically lost his life when a school compound wall collapsed in Tiruvallur district, finally received his body on Wednesday. This came after a prolonged protest where they demanded enhanced compensation and a government job for a family member.
Compensation and Job Offered After Hours-Long Standoff
Following protests that stretched for over six hours on Wednesday, the family was given a cheque for Rs 5 lakh by Minister S M Nasar, who was accompanied by District Collector M Prathap. In a significant addition, another Rs 5 lakh was provided on behalf of the DMK party. Addressing a key demand, the deceased boy's father, a daily wage labourer from Kondapuram village, has been offered a position in a government outsourced agency.
Sequence of a Tragic Incident
The victim, identified as Mohit, was a student at Kondapuram Government High School. The fatal accident occurred on Tuesday near R K Pet. Mohit and three other students were having lunch sitting on the school's compound wall when it suddenly gave way, leading to his death. Immediately after the collapse, Tiruttani Sub-Collector Kanimozhi and Deputy Superintendent of Police Kandhan held discussions with villagers for nearly four hours. The body was then sent to Tiruttani Government Hospital for a postmortem.
Escalating Tensions and Police Action
The situation grew tense on Wednesday when Mohit's parents and fellow villagers gathered outside the Tiruttani Government Hospital and refused to accept the body. As a precaution, authorities deployed more than 50 police personnel at the hospital premises. Negotiations, led by Tiruttani MLA S Chandran and officials including the Revenue Divisional Officer, continued for over six hours, with reports of heated arguments during the talks.
In a related development, the police have registered a case against Chief Educational Officer of Tiruvallur district Karpagam, District Educational Officer Amutha, and School Headmaster Thyagarajan. The school remained closed on Wednesday in the wake of the tragedy.
