
Kerala to take strict action in Thevalakkara student electrocution death case; family to get house, aid
The decision comes after the department received a detailed report from the Director of General Education. The minister announced a series of steps to ensure accountability and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
The school headmistress will be suspended with immediate effect. A show-cause notice will be issued to the school management for allegedly failing to act on safety lapses. The management has been asked to respond within three days.
The Additional Educational Officer who was in charge of the school at the time will be asked to provide an explanation. Since the District Educational Officer of Kollam had retired when the academic year began, AEO Antony Peter had been given the DEO's additional charge.
The department will use powers under Rule 7 of Chapter 3 of the Kerala Education Rules to take further action against the management if necessary. The minister also urged the management to seriously consider providing financial assistance to Midhun's family.
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Indian Express
4 days ago
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Jagan Mohan Reddy's ‘voice in Delhi', who is Midhun Reddy, arrested in Andhra liquor scam probe?
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) floor leader in the Lok Sabha, three-time MP, son of former Andhra Pradesh Minister and party strongman Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, and former CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's 'voice in Delhi'. These are some hats that YSRCP's Rajampet MP P V Midhun Reddy has donned in his decade-long political career. With the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arresting Midhun on Saturday in connection with the alleged Andhra Pradesh liquor policy scam, the YSRCP is likely to feel the pinch of his absence in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which commences Monday. Sources in the party said Midhun could 'withstand the game of political vendetta' as he belongs to a family with a strong political background. 'He was arrested only because he is a prominent leader and is Peddireddy's son,' the source said. Referring to Midhun as a 'mass leader', another source said the Rajampet MP often rubs shoulders with Jagan. 'His rise has not just irked the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) but also the BJP,' the source said. Following the YSRCP's drubbing in last year's Lok Sabha polls, where it managed to win only four of the 25 seats in Andhra Pradesh, and the exit of key leader V Vijayasai Reddy, Midhun emerged as the party's voice in the capital and was seen by many as the de facto number two in the YSRCP. 'After Vijayasai Reddy's exit, Midhun was the go-to man for young workers. He was also the party's face in Delhi. His father has been one of the TDP's biggest critics. By arresting him, the TDP wants to send a message that even Jagan's closest aides would not be spared,' a party insider said. A mechanical engineer by qualification, Midhun went on to complete his MBA in International Business and worked at a private firm in Hyderabad before entering politics in 2014, when he first won the Rajampet seat. He has held it since. In 2014, Midhun defeated former Andhra BJP chief Daggubati Purandeswari by over 1 lakh votes and followed it up five years later by winning the seat against the TDP's D K Sathya Prabha. Last year, he successfully contested against former CM of undivided Andhra, N Kiran Kumar Reddy, winning by more than 76,000 votes. Midhun is accused number 4 in the alleged scam, which, according to the SIT, pertains to the liquor policy during Jagan's term between 2014 and 2019. According to the SIT, the policy was allegedly tailor-made to benefit a few local liquor brands by replacing popular liquor brands with lesser-known ones in exchange for bribes to the tune of Rs 3,200 crore. According to the arrest notice, Midhun is a 'core conspirator (of the scam) from inception to execution, who has orchestrated policy changes and coordinated with co-accused to secure kickbacks from distilleries and suppliers'. The notice goes on to add that the 'transaction trail (between entities involved in the alleged scam) indicated the use of front or shell companies for laundering kickbacks, warranting further investigation into potential quid pro quo'. Early into his political career in 2015, Midhun found himself at the centre of a controversy after he allegedly assaulted an Air India staffer at Tirupati airport and spent time in a Nellore jail in connection with the case. Dismissing the allegations of 'political vendetta', the TDP claimed there was 'enough to prove Midhun's involvement in the scam'. 'The money acquired through illegal means was used to fund the YSRCP's 2024 assembly election campaign,' a source said. However, YSRCP leaders said Midhun was in talks with several BJP leaders at the Centre over TDP 'targeting local-level workers' and was arrested as the 'TDP did not want him to be in touch with the BJP'.

The Hindu
5 days ago
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Heartbreaking scenes at Kochi airport as mother of Midhun who was electrocuted at school returns from Kuwait
The Kochi airport witnessed heartbreaking scenes on Saturday (July 19, 2025) when Suja, the mother of M. Midhun, 13, a Class VIII student who was electrocuted at Thevalakkara Boys High School in Kollam on Thursday, returned from Kuwait where she was working as a domestic help, to bid adieu to her elder son. She burst into tears even as she collapsed hugging on to her younger son Sujin and a relative who were at the airport to receive her. She was helped into the car, which sped off to Kollam. Reportedly, Suja left for Kuwait as the domestic help of an Arab family just four months ago to help her family recover from huge debts. Since she had accompanied the Arab family on a trip to Turkey, it took a while before she could be informed about the tragedy. The Arab family agreed to arrange for her flight back home for the funeral of her elder son. Aluva MLA Anwar Sadath was also present at the airport. Midhun was electrocuted while trying to retrieve a slipper that had fallen onto the roof of the bicycle shed on the school compound. He came into contact with a low-lying live electric line. Though he was rushed to a hospital, his life could not be saved.


Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
School HM suspended, govt promises support to family
T'puram: The headmistress of Thevalakkara Boys High School, where a 13-year-old boy was electrocuted to death, was suspended from service on Friday. General education department issued a directive to the school management to suspend headmistress Suja S in connection with the electrocution death of Class VIII student Mithun in the school on Thursday. School manager R Thulasidharan Pillai issued the suspension order. Kollam district assistant education officer, who visited the school, reported serious lapses on the part of school authorities in maintaining the safety and security of the school and its premises. Meanwhile, massive protests erupted across the state following Mithun's death, with allegations raised against various govt departments in connection with the incident. BJP workers marched to the office of electricity minister K Krishnankutty in Palakkad. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters as they tried to break through barricades. Scuffles broke out between demonstrators and the police. Protests led by Kerala Students Union, Revolutionary Youth Front and Yuva Morcha at the Thevalakkara school also turned tense. The police forcefully removed and arrested the protesters. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Earlier, general education minister V Sivankutty on Friday said that govt would take stern action against all those responsible for Mithun's death. He said the school management must consider providing financial assistance to the family of Mithun, who was electrocuted to death after he climbed up a cycle shed to retrieve a footwear from the rooftop. Sivankutty said education department would take the initiative to build a house for Mithun's family and his brother would be exempted from paying fees up to Plus Two. Govt will provide Rs 3 lakh as emergency aid and more financial assistance will be provided to the family after consulting the CM, he added. Minister regrets comment Meanwhile, animal husbandry minister J Chinchurani visited Mithun's family on Friday. She expressed deep regret over her statement blaming the boy, who was electrocuted to death. She said it was a slip of the tongue. The minister had on Thursday blamed Mithun for his acts and had given a clean chit to the school management and teachers. She said that the boy climbed onto the sheeted roof, ignoring the warnings of his classmate. He had risked his life just for a slipper, she said. Chinchurani said, "I should have avoided the words but it was a slip of tongue." KSEB compensation Meanwhile, KSEB handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to the family of Mithun on Friday. Kerala water resources minister Roshy Augustine, speaking to the media in Kozhikode, expressed sorrow over Mithun's death.