Chandigarh: Four days after a six-year-old girl was beaten inside her classroom in Panchkula by an eight-year-old student of the same school, the authorities are cracking down on the teachers and staff for negligence. Two junior basic teachers have been suspended, and the police have registered an FIR against the school management.
The girl, a KG student at Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 20, was attacked on 28 October by a Class 3 boy. Footage of the incident—recorded by a CCTV camera inside the classroom—has since gone viral. It purportedly shows the boy banging the girl’s head against a desk and repeatedly kicking her as she lies on the floor.
As of Sunday afternoon, the girl is being treated at PGI, Chandigarh. Her condition is stable and she is out of danger. The boy has been sent to an observation home and is undergoing a psychological evaluation, and an investigation is under way to determine the factors—including family environment and exposure to violent video games—that contributed to his violent outburst.
Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda has ordered an inquiry after watching the CCTV footage. Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Satpal Sharma has set up a four-member committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Vivek. The government has also said it will bear the full cost of the girl’s treatment.
Speaking to ThePrint Sunday, Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Aditi Singh said an FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“On 28 October, an unfortunate incident took place at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, Panchkula, in which an eight-year-old student assaulted a six-year-old student inside a classroom,” Singh said about the incident.
“The girl is currently undergoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh and is out of danger. Her parents are with her, and she is safe,” she added.
The DCP said the police investigation had thrown up lapses on the school’s part. “During the police investigation, preliminary findings also revealed negligence on the part of the school administration. In view of this, an FIR has been registered. The investigation will be conducted with complete impartiality and seriousness,” she said.
When asked who all have been booked, she said “the school principal, the in-charge of the girl’s class and the school chowkidar”.
Because the accused is a minor, he will be dealt with under the juvenile justice law. Singh said experts are conducting his psychological evaluation as required under the Juvenile Justice Act. “Further action will be taken based on the evaluation,” she said. The boy was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an observation home in Ambala.
The DCP said the police were also looking beyond this one school. “Following this incident, we have decided to issue a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) for schools in Panchkula, and compliance with it will be mandatory for all schools,” she said.
She said the Panchkula Police will visit schools to hold sensitisation and outreach programmes for teachers and students. “I would also like to assure all parents whose children are studying in schools across Panchkula that their safety remains our highest priority,” she said.
“We will ensure that the investigation into this incident, as well as any such cases in the future, is conducted fairly and that children’s safety in schools is maintained at all times,” the DCP added.
Meanwhile, the district elementary education officer, Panchkula, Saturday suspended two junior basic teachers, Pooja Rani and Simranjit Kaur. The same day, angry parents gathered outside the school gate and raised slogans against the management and the principal. There was an argument between parents and the police, who asked them to move away from the gate.
Also Read: Girl student attacked outside Delhi school, FIR registered
‘Please don’t broadcast video’
The 28 October incident came to light only when the girl did not come out after school at pick-up time. The auto driver who was to take her home could not find her and informed the family. Her father and uncle rushed to the school, where the family says the accused boy himself led them to the room where she lay injured and unconscious.
The family has questioned how nobody noticed the attack when the school has CCTV cameras monitored from the principal’s office. They allege the boy lured the girl to the first floor by telling her that her father had called for her. They also allege she was hit with a stone and a flower pot, and dragged some distance. CCTV footage revealed that the assault lasted 96 seconds inside the classroom.
The Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also stepped in. It has asked the district education officer, Panchkula, for a comprehensive, point-wise factual report on the action taken by the Education Department.
Commission chairperson Tripti Sheoran told media persons at Panchkula Saturday that they received a video of the incident Thursday evening. “Given the manner in which he carried out this act, we intend to have the child undergo a mental health evaluation and counselling to understand why he behaved this way,” she said.
Sheoran said the commission will explore whether the boy’s family environment, the area he lives in or exposure to aggressive video games played a part. “Only after considering all these factors will we be able to provide a full assessment,” she said.
Justice Lalit Batra (Retired), Chairman of the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), visited the school Saturday and sought a detailed report on the incident.
The commission has appealed to the public and media organisations not to share or broadcast videos showing the two children involved in the incident. Dr Puneet Arora, Assistant Registrar, HHRC, said repeated exposure to such visuals may adversely affect young minds.
Arora told The Print that the commission will initiate further action in the matter Monday once the offices open after the weekend.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)
Also Read: Girl injured in knife attack by her school classmate in Pune district