Five booked and tribal school closed after snakebites kill three students in Gadchiroli
The Dhanora police on Wednesday booked five individuals, including a former minister and a school principal, following the death of three tribal students from snakebites at Japtalai Ashramshala in Japtalai village, Gadchiroli district. The tribal welfare department has cancelled the registration of the government-aided boarding school and ordered its closure.
Those booked include school principal Prashant Tatpalliwar, male warden Bhaskar Bhoyar, female warden Bhagyashree Chillamwar, former minister Marotrao Kowase—who heads the trust running the school—and his secretary. Police registered cases under sections 106 (1), 125 (a), 125 (b), and 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, following a complaint by a project officer from the tribal welfare department.
The tragedy occurred on Monday when six students were bitten by a snake while sleeping on the floor. The school administration had not provided cots for the residential students. Japtalai Ashramshala accommodated 223 students and employed 24 staff members.
The six victims were initially taken to Dhanora rural hospital, where class VI student Deepika Lakda and class VIII student Sushmita Mandal passed away during treatment. A third student also succumbed to the snakebite.
Among the survivors, class VIII student Samrudhi Netam was airlifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur after her condition turned critical. Tribal welfare minister Ashok Uikey visited her on Wednesday and confirmed she is now out of danger. Two other injured students, class V student Deepika Madavi and class VI student Kavita Kiranga, were transferred from the intensive care unit to the general ward at Gadchiroli District Hospital.
Following the shutdown order, all remaining students were sent home and will be relocated alongside staff to other government-run ashram schools. The state government announced compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the three deceased students. Gadchiroli guardian minister Ashish Jaiswal said the trustees would be held accountable, noting that the government provides sufficient funding to ensure student safety.
