Bihar mid-day meal tragedy does not appear to be accident, says Nitish Kumar

Patna: Nine days after 23 children died from a poisoned lunch at their school in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has issued his first public comments on the tragedy.

"I have a lot of regret and sorrow over what happened," he said at a press conference. "We cannot bring back the children, but we will work hard to improve their village," he said. (Read: Highlights of the presser)

The Chief Minister did not directly pin the disaster on a political conspiracy, as some of his ministers have, but he backed the theory that the poisoning appeared deliberate. "This does not look like an accident," he said, "the accounts given by people, the forensic report, the concentration of pesticide (in the meal), all this points towards something," he said.

Oil used to cook the fatal meal contained an agricultural insecticide that was five times the strength sold in the market place, according to a forensic report.

The opposition has hurled darts at the chief minister for not visiting the village that was pulverized by the tragedy, though it's just 90 kms from the state capital of Patna.

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Mr Kumar responded that a fractured toe had immobilized him. "I don't believe in just talking...I was working, not sitting at home," he added.

Investigators also hope for crucial answers from Meena Devi, the school headmistress, who was arrested today. Her husband supplied the school with its groceries. The couple disappeared when the children began vomiting on July 16.  Leaders from Mr Kumar's party, the Janata Dal United or JDU, have said that the principal's husband is affiliated to an opposition party,  alluding to the possibility that he acted on behalf of the opposition to destabilize the government.

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