Can146;t brush aside8230;

The judge to head the commission is expected to be named later in consultation with the Chief Justice of Madras High Court. The commission will be asked to submit its report within four months. She has also announced a series of measures, including mandatory clearances, fire safety measures and fire drills, to ensure that tragedies of such nature do not recur.

In a significant move, the police have added Section 317 of the Indian Penal Code to the criminal case, setting the stage for slapping cases on teachers 8216;8216;who may have failed to rescue the children8217;8217;.

Under Section 317, an adult8217;s failure to protect the children they have been entrusted with is a culpable offence. 8216;8216;If our investigation shows that any teacher had abandoned the children and fled, they will be proceeded against,8217;8217; Assistant SP Kalyanasundaram told The Indian Express.

According to him, the seven teachers questioned today asserted that they 8216;8216;tried their best8217;8217; to save the children. However, two teachers, Anthony Ammal and Sridevi, who were in the thatched shed classroom are still 8216;8216;missing8217;8217;. Their houses remain locked and their whereabouts are not known. If they failed to appear in a day or two, they would be treated as absconders, the ASP said.

He said the 8216;8216;main casualties8217;8217; were in classes III and IV where the two teachers taught. Kalyanasundaram agreed with the view of the victims8217; parents and residents that the casualties would not have been so high had the teachers led the children to safety. 8216;8216;They should have led like a captain, but at least some of the teachers did not,8217;8217; he said. However, he hastened to add that 8216;8216;not all the 23 teachers of the school are to blame. Some high school teachers did bring their students to safety8217;8217;.

Police have already arrested school correspondent 71-year-old Palanisamy, his wife Saraswathi and daughter Santhalakshmi, who were headmistresses of the primary and high school sections which functioned in the same premises. The mid-day meal centre cook and organiser have also been arrested as the fire which broke out in the kitchen spread to the classroom, killing the kids.

Meanwhile, lakhs of students in government, private and aided-schools in various parts of the state today paid homage to victims of the Kumbakonam fire. The state government had declared a holiday for all the schools as a mark of respect. After offering prayers, the schools were closed for the day.

In Kumbakonam, school children took out a silent march to the accident site and paid homage. The state Cabinet also met today and observed two-minute silence. Thanjavur District Collector J. Radhakrishnan said the government would consider the proposal of film artistes8217; association president and actor Vijaykant, to convert the school into a memorial for the dead children.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani is slated to visit Kumbakonam tomorrow. CPIM politburo member Sitaram Yechuri is scheduled to visit the injured in hospital later today.