Parents and relatives of the deceased maintained that the school authorities had informed them only after the boy was sent to the hospital and not when the incident was discovered.
Parents rushed to bring back their wards and thronged the school's entry
A 10-year-old Class IV student of GD Goenka School in Shakti Khand, Indirapuram, lost his life on the school premises today. According to the school authorities, Armaan Sehgal, the boy, was found unconscious by his teachers and was rushed to Shanti Gopal Hospital in Ahinsa Khand II around 8 am today. Responding to queries, officials of the hospital said the boy was brought dead and did not undergo any treatment at the hospital.
Parents and relatives of the deceased maintained that the school authorities informed them only after the boy was sent to the hospital and not when the incident was discovered. The parents also blamed the school for its callous attitude in dealing with the incident.
Armaan's mother (in orange) was inconsolable
After news of the incident spread among parents of GD Goenka School, they rushed to the school to bring back their wards and thronged the school's entry. The parents seemed confused about what had exactly happened at the school and were concerned about the safety of their wards. While one parent mentioned that a student died due to a fatal fall inside the school, another maintained that the students had gotten into a fight. The classes went on according to the regular schedule and students were released at the end of school hours.
Worried parents gathered outside the school
A minor scuffle broke out between angry relatives of the boy and security guards who initially could not identify them as the boy’s relatives. The relatives were further enraged by the school's tight-lipped stance. After several attempts of probing at the school’s entry, the school officials only clarified a previous rumour — that the boy had fallen off one of the higher floors of the school building.
Armaan's father (in black) breaks down outside the hospital
"The school should have informed us immediately," said Armaan's mother. "Armaan's classteacher did not interact with us. They informed us only after he was taken to the hospital. It was only after we put pressure on the classteacher that we received some information. We were also given different versions of the incident. Some said he fell from his desk, some said he slipped on the stairs, while others said he slipped on the floor."
The police force was deployed in the vicinity of the school to avoid agitation among parents. Speaking to City Spidey, members of the All School Parents Association, a parents' welfare group from Ghaziabad, said the incident clearly took place due to the negligence of the school management. Conversations among parents were abuzz with discussions about the level of safety in schools with hefty fee structures.
The grieving parents being consoled by relatives
Speaking to City Spidey, SK Dubey, SO of Indirapuram police station, said that prima facie, the incident looked like an accident and that the investigation was on. “The body has been sent for post mortem, which will be conducted by a panel of doctors,” Dubey added. Dubey further said that the police had accessed the CCTV tapes from the school and action would be initiated based on the footage and the post-mortem report.
Gulshan Sehgal, Armaan's father, filed a complaint against the principal and the management of GD Goenka Public School, for death of his child due to a fall in the corridor of the school. He accused the management of negligence and destruction of evidence. A case has been registered under sections 304/201 of IPC with case no 1083/2017. The case will be investigated by Subash Chandra Gautam, Senior DSP.
While the incident still remains a mystery, with multiple versions of the story doing the rounds, the district administration has ordered an in-depth inquiry into the issue.
Parents had rushed to the school to bring back their wards
