NHRC issues notices to SP, Karnal and Principal Secretary, Education Department, Haryana in a matter of a child's death

New Delhi, February 29th, 2012
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Superintendent of Police, Karnal and Principal Secretary, Education Department, Haryana taking suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging that a child died of shock after having been locked up in his school in Kamela, Gharonda Sub-Division in the State. They have been asked to submit reports in the matter within four weeks.

The Principal Secretary, Education Department, in particular, has been asked to inform the Commission about any action taken by his department in the matter.

As per media report carried on the 22nd February, 2012, six year old child Master Pankaj Singh was a student of a private school in his locality. On the 27th December, 2011, he was allegedly locked up in a dark room in the school to reprimand him for his negligence. When he did not reach home after the school hours, the family went to the school and found him unconscious in the room.

The school authorities appeared to have had forgotten that they had detained the child. Allegedly, traumatized by this sentence, Pankaj stopped eating properly and had to be admitted to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. After he showed signs of recovery, he was discharged from the hospital and thereafter he was sent back to the school.

Things were fine till he attended the class of the teacher who had allegedly punished him earlier. The boy fainted and had to be hospitalized. He was discharged on the 11th February, 2012 and passed away the next day.

Reportedly, based on the assurance given by the Village Panchayat for a truce between the parents of the boy and the school authorities, the family cremated the child without any autopsy being carried out. However, the bereaved family reported the matter to the local police on Monday, 20th February, 2012 alleging that the private English medium school had caused the death of their child.

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