A 13-year-old boy drowned after he slipped into a 10-feet deep sump in the Raja Desingu Government High School at Gingee near here on Wednesday. The name of the victim was given as Sivaraman, son of Kumari of Melarungunam, an assistant cook in a government primary school.
According to the police, the incident took place at around 9 a.m. Sivaraman, studying in Class 8, went to the sump to draw water using a plastic mug when he slipped into it. The school teachers found the body floating in the sump and alerted the Gingee police.
The police said a new block was being built on the school premises with assistance of ₹1.80 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Contractor Murugesan had left the sump open to provide water for construction.
The police have arrested Mr. Murugesan and supervisor Jayaraman.