Principal, teacher held for students' deaths

The principal and a teacher of a school in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested in connection with the death of two students under mysterious circumstances, official sources said on Wednesday.

An inquiry by Additional Director, Education, has also been ordered into the matter, they said.

Jawahar Navoday Vidyalay's principal K C Pandey and teacher K K Dubey were arrested on Tuesday night after the parents of one of the deceased lodged a First Information Report against them, the sources said.

Dhirendra Prajapati, a class X student allegedly committed suicide last Sunday by jumping before a speeding train. However, his parents alleged their son was killed and the body was thrown on the railway tracks. About four months ago, a class XII student, Ajai Verma, also allegedly committed suicide in a similar manner.

The deaths have caused panic among parents of other students. Many of them have withdrawn their children from the school.