Police have sent notices to the principal, the accountant and a teacher of a private school in Bansdroni to appear for questioning in connection with the unnatural death of eight-year-old Ayush Kumar Nath.
Ayush allegedly fell ill at school on May 13 and died on May 24 at hospital. Seven days after he fell ill, the child’s family lodged a complaint with police on May 20, alleging negligence by school authorities.
On Tuesday, after Ayush’s death, police drew up an FIR and began a probe based on the complaint by the child’s father, Ashis Kumar Nath.
Nath stated in his complaint that Ayush had complained of feeling unwell around 8am on May 13. Instead of informing the family, the class teacher made the child sit with his head down in “an unhealthy environment where there was no fan,” the complaint said.
Nath alleged that despite being unwell, Ayush was made to carry his schoolbag and later fell on the staircase.
“We have sent notices under Section 35(3) of the BNSS, asking the three of them to appear for questioning,” an officer said.
Preliminary investigation suggested Ayush had joined school on May 13 after being on medical leave for five or six days. School authorities told investigators that the family had not informed them about the exact cause of the student’s illness during his absence. Sources said the investigation will also examine whether the child was unwell even before reporting sick at school on May 13.
Investigators have sought details of the medical records from all hospitals where the child was admitted before his death.
“We are at an early stage of investigation. There is no supporting evidence, including CCTV footage, to suggest a fall from the staircase after classes were over at 11.45am on May 13,” an officer said.
Findings suggest the boy was escorted down the staircase by a school attendant, who carried his schoolbag and handed it over to his father. “The boy fell unconscious while he was with his father,” the officer said.
In his complaint, the father said he found his son unconscious. He alleged that the school authorities did not consult a doctor and kept him at school.
Ayush’s father also stated that the child was on ventilator support and had suffered an internal haemorrhage.
“The preliminary post-mortem suggests the child suffered a haematoma inside his brain and there were no marks of external injury,” the officer said. “A few reports about his health indicate that a tumour measuring around 5cm had started developing inside his brain. The final post-mortem report will determine whether the haematoma was caused by the tumour.”