Four ‘shiksha mitras’ and an assistant teacher were served showcause notice by the district administration and their salary for February has been withheld, officials said. (Photo for representational purpose)

A THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL died after she fell into a vessel of hot curry that was prepared for mid-day meal at a government-run primary school in Mirzapur’s Rampur Atri village Monday.

Six cooks at the school — all women — were arrested Tuesday and produced before a local court while the headmaster was suspended. Four ‘shiksha mitras’ and an assistant teacher were served showcause notice by the district administration and their salary for February has been withheld, officials said.

Police identified the deceased as Anchal.

Mirzapur SP Dharmveer Singh said in a statement, “In Rampur Attri village, under Lalganj police station, Anchal, 3, had gone to study. Although she is not enrolled in the school, she used to go there to study with her brothers. When the mid-day meal was being distributed, she fell into a food container. She died during treatment. Six cooks have been booked under IPC section 304-A (causing death by negligence)…. We are helping the family members in all possible ways.”

Police force has been deployed in the village, said Lalganj SHO Shyam Bihaari.

The case was registered based on a complaint from Mirzapur Basic Shiksha Adhikari V K Singh. He said the headmaster, Santosh Kumar Yadav, was suspended because he was not present at the school when the incident happened. “He was absent without leave and we have suspended him and are probing the matter,” he said.

The school is on the same premises as a junior school and a combined total of 289 students are enrolled. “There are 117 students at the junior high school and 172 children at the primary school,” he said.

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