The response was quick. The children were brought to Chhapra sadar hospital. They were given proper treatment.

3 children are still critical. But doctors believe they will recover. The cook is stable.

Adequate arrangements were made in Chhapra. I went there and got those critical to Patna.

The children were poisoned. Doctors say there was organic phosphorus in the mid-day meal

Excess of organic phosphorus is poison



School principal Meena Kumari's husband is very close to a prominent political leader

Cook also ate the food but she survived. The children had complained about the vegetable

The cook had expressed doubts about quality of oil used in the vegetable, was asked to use it by the headmistress



It may have been an attempt to destabilize, we can't be sure it wasn't

Whatever I have said is based on initial reports, forensic reports are yet to come

Headmistress has been sacked. She and her family members are missing. Reports suggest she didn't eat the vegetable.

Govt can't interfere in the probe. Police must see how the food was poisoned. Was it a conspiracy or was it inadvertent?

It is a big challenge to provide quality mid-day meals to children in 73,000 schools in Bihar



Bihar's Education Minister PK Shahi addressed the media after 21 children died after having a mid-day meal in their school near Chhapra. Here are the highlights from the press conference: