Jamshedpur, Feb. 8: A nine-year-old boy of DAV Public School (Bistupur) died mysteriously today after he collapsed on campus moments after the school got over.

Harshdeep Singh Kalsi of Class II B was rushed to the Tata Main Hospital (TMH), where doctors declared him brought dead. But the police said the case looked suspicious and were waiting for the post-mortem report to comment any further.

“The boy’s death looks suspicious. It might be a case of suspected poisoning. We are looking into it. Things will be clear after the post-mortem,”said B.B. Tirkey, the officer in charge of Bistupur police station, adding he had noticed bruises on Harshdeep’s fingers.

Harshdeep’s younger brother, Sukhdeep, studies in Upper KG in the same school which will remain closed tomorrow on account of the tragedy.

According to eyewitnesses, Harshdeep collapsed near the school gate around 1.30pm when the school got over. Some students, who were rushing out, picked him up and took him to their games teacher. Later, he was taken to TMH in a school vehicle.

Harshdeep’s father, Paramjeet Singh Kalsi, a basketball coach and resident of Ramdas Bhatta, told The Telegraph that someone from the school informed his wife that Harshdeep had collapsed.

“My wife rushed out of the house, which is near the school. I, too, went to the school in my motorbike. By the time I reached, I was told that my wife and some students had taken Harshdeep to a nearby medical shop,” Paramjeet, said, sobbing inconsolably.

Paramjeet rushed to the medical shop, where they were asked to take Harshdeep to hospital.

“My son never had any medical complications. How can he collapse and die all of a sudden?” he asked, while waiting for his son’s body to be taken away for post-mortem to the MGM Medical College and Hospital.

Papiya Mukherjee, the principal of DAV Public School (Bistupur), said the boy fell down soon after students dispersed.

“We are aghast at what happened. I was informed by the games teacher that Harshdeep had collapsed. We rushed him to TMH, where doctors declared him brought dead.”

As news of the tragedy spread, the Kalsi family, friends, relatives and other members of the Sikh community began gathering near the TMH emergency room.

Harshdeep’s mother, Rajwant Kaur, and other members of the family rushed to the side gate of the hospital the moment they were told that his body was about to be taken for autopsy.

“Look, my son’s body has become cold. What’s happened to him?” she asked while holding on to Harshdeep’s hands. He was still in his school uniform.

This is the second incident when a student has died on campus. In 2006, a student of Tagore Academy died after falling from the fifth floor of the school building.