The principal of the government school in Chhapra where 23 children died in the mid-day meal tragedy suspected to have been caused by poisoned food is still absconding.

No arrests have been made, two days after the incident, as a mass grave outside the primary school at Dharmasati Gandavan village where the dead were buried bore mute testimony to the tragedy.

"This school will not run... we will not allow it," said Rakeshwar Mahato who lost his grand-daughter in the tragedy. "This is where our children were murdered," he said, defending the decision to bury the children just outside the school premises as a mark of protest by the families.