Chandigarh, Oct. 31 -- The Haryana government on Saturday ordered a probe into the assault of a six-year-old girl with special needs by an eight-year-old boy inside a classroom at a government school in Panchkula, while police registered an FIR against the school administration for alleged negligence.
The Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) also took suo motu cognisance of the incident, which took place on October 28.
The girl sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. She is now out of danger, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Panchkula) Aditi Singh said.
A purported video of the incident circulating on social media shows the boy grabbing the girl by her hair and repeatedly hitting her head against a desk. After she falls to the floor, he allegedly kicks her and strikes her with what appears to be a brick.
The Haryana government has constituted a five-member committee to inquire into the incident, according to an official statement. The government will bear the girl's entire treatment cost and conduct a comprehensive safety audit of schools across the state, it said.
Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said negligence affecting children's safety and welfare would not be tolerated. He expressed concern over the girl's recovery and said the government stood firmly with her family.
The committee, headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, includes the District Education Officer, District Child Protection Officer, a police officer nominated by the Commissioner of Police, and a special educator or child psychologist. It has been asked to submit its report within seven days, the statement said.
The HSCPCR issued a notice to the Panchkula District Education Officer, seeking a detailed report on the circumstances of the incident and the action taken by the education department.
The commission has sought details on the supervision arrangements in the classroom, the staff responsible for the children and the steps taken by the school immediately after the incident, including providing first aid, taking the girl to hospital and informing her family.
It has also sought details of the medical treatment provided, action taken or proposed against those responsible for supervision, and measures to prevent a recurrence. The commission has asked for the school's duty roster, attendance records, CCTV footage, if available, incident report and other relevant documents.
"The matter involves the safety and protection of children within the school premises and, therefore, the factual report, along with the Action Taken Report, shall be furnished to the Commission on priority, without fail," the commission said in its communication.
Singh said the boy, being eight years old, was undergoing a psychological evaluation by experts in accordance with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. Further proceedings would be carried out based on the assessment, she said.
"During the police investigation, negligence of the school administration came to light. In view of this, we have registered an FIR against it under the relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)," the DCP said.
She added that a standard operating procedure would be issued for all schools in Panchkula. The police would also conduct awareness programmes for teachers and students to promote children's safety in schools.
The girl's uncle alleged negligence on the part of the school administration, claiming that CCTV cameras were installed in the classrooms but no one was monitoring them when the incident took place.
He said the driver of the auto-rickshaw who usually dropped the girl at school and took her home could not find her when he arrived to pick her up.
"He informed us, after which my brother went to the school to find out. The boy who had hit her told my brother that some children had beaten her and she was lying in the classroom," the uncle said.
He said the family was told that some teachers had been assigned duties elsewhere that day. The incident occurred between 3 pm and 3.15 pm, and the principal had left around 3 pm, he alleged.
"As CCTV cameras are installed, every activity can be monitored from the principal's room, but no one was there at the time of the incident. Had someone been sitting in the office, this incident would not have occurred," he said.
The uncle said the girl was first taken to a private hospital in Panchkula and then referred to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, from where she was shifted to PGIMER, Chandigarh.
He also alleged that the classroom was locked when the family reached the school and that it took them nearly two hours to get the girl out.
"Today this incident occurred with our child. We do not want this to happen to another child," he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.