Madras HC suspends conviction of seven and modifies sentence of two others in 2004 Tamil Nadu school fire incident

In 2004, a fire that started in the thatched kitchen of Sri Krishna Middle School in Kummbakonam in Tamil Nadu resulted in the death of 94 children.

Initially, 21 people were accused in the case, according to media reports.

However, the trial court, in July 2014, acquitted 11 of them and convicted and sentenced 10 others, including awarding life imprisonment to the schools' founder Pulavar Palanisamy and five years to his wife Saraswathi and the school's cook Vasanthi.

As Sarawathi passed away during the period of appeal, the bench abated the charges against her, media reported.

The Bench which passed orders on the appeals set aside the conviction and sentence passed by the lower court in the case of school principal Santhana Lakshmi, Gajalakshmi, noon meal organiser, engineer Jayachandran, District Educational Officer R Balaji, Personal Assistant Sivaprakasam supervisor Dhandavan and one Durairaj, an assistant, reported NDTV.

The court modified the life sentence awarded to Palanisamy to one of the period already undergone during investigation, trial and post conviction and modified the fine amount to Rs. 1,16,500, reports said.

Similarly, the court modified cook Vasanthi's sentence to one of the period already undergone.

Inbaraj, who lost both his sons Praveen Raj and Anand Raj, had said to NDTV during the lower court trial, "The punishment should be so stringent that it should be a lesson for others. None should suffer like us, losing children."