VIJAYAWADA: The police on Tuesday arrested Ravindra Bharathi School correspondent and secretary Veeramachaneni Venkateswara Rao, named as the main accused in the sensational picnic tragedy case in which 15 students died. The arrest was made when Rao was trying to surrender before the local court in the morning. Two others - physical director Dasari Michael and Keesara camp in-charge Digumarthy Murali - were also arrested. The accused persons were produced before the first class judicial magistrate, Nandigama, who remanded them to judicial custody for 15 days.

In a new twist, the police began investigating into the responsibility of teachers for the tragic death of students in their respective groups. As the management maintained that the task of ensuring security was given to staff members, the police began listing out teachers responsible for the safety of each group of students. They were ascertaining from students as to which teachers were assigned to look after which class of students. As students of 10th, 9th, 8th and 5th classes died, the police collected names of the respective class teachers and also respective group in-charges.

SP talks tough

Krishna District SP N. Chandra Mouli said that information was being collected from fellow students of the deceased children and, based on that, the respective teachers would be arrested if they were found to have shown negligence at the picnic spot. Some 40 teachers accompanied the students on the fateful day.

Headmistress Panchumarthi Sarala, who was arrested in Vijayawada on Monday, was also brought to Nandigama in connection with the case. The Kanchikacherla police registered a case under section 304A of IPC against the school management for "negligence" which resulted in the death of 15 students during Sunday's picnic in the Munneru stream at Keesara bridge.

The case booked in Crime No 242/05 was based on a complaint made by the headmistress after the Sunday incident. The enthusiasts and revellers of "Karthika masa vana mahotsavams" frequented the scenic spot dotted with high banks and mango groves at Aitavaram village abutting the National Highway No 9.

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