Mid-day meal worker murdered in school before students in Himachal Pradesh

Shimla: A 58-year-old mid-day meal worker was allegedly murdered inside a government primary school in Chinaur village of Dehra in Himachal's Kangra district in broad daylight right in front of students, police said on Friday.

The accused, who was arrested after a few hours of the incident on Thursday afternoon, had entered the school premises and allegedly attacked the victim, identified as Salochna Devi, a resident of Chinaur, with a sickle.

Upon hearing the screams of children, the teachers rushed outside the classrooms to find the accused, Rakesh Kumar (48), holding a sharp-edged weapon while Salochna was lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen area, police said.

The teachers asked Kumar to leave, but he threatened them. Soon, teachers from a nearby school reached the spot and pelted him with stones, forcing him to flee.

Sulochana was rushed to the nearby community health centre, where the doctors declared her dead. As news of the incident began to spread, several parents arrived at the school and demanded that outsiders be barred from the school premises.

Meanwhile, a case of murder has been registered, and the accused, a resident of the same village as the victim, has been arrested, police said, adding that investigations are underway to determine the cause which led to the brutal act.