Case Against School After Boy, 8, Assaults 6-Year-Old Girl In Haryana

A case has been registered against the management of the school in Panchkula, in connection with an alleged assault on a six-year-old girl student by a Class 3 student on the school premises.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Aditi Singh said a police case has been registered against the school management for alleged negligence.

Police said a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Preliminary investigation has pointed to negligence on the part of the school management. Police said the investigation has also raised concerns regarding security arrangements and supervision of students inside the school.

DCP Aditi Singh said, "On October 28, an unfortunate incident took place at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 20, Panchkula, in which an eight-year-old student assaulted a six-year-old student inside a classroom."

"The girl is currently undergoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh and is out of danger. Her parents are with her, and she is safe," she said.

"As an eight-year-old minor is involved in the incident, his psychological evaluation is being conducted by experts in accordance with the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. Further action will be taken based on the evaluation," Singh added.

She further said that preliminary findings revealed negligence on the part of the school administration. "During the police investigation, preliminary findings also revealed negligence on the part of the school administration. In view of this, an FIR has been registered against the school management under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation will be conducted with complete impartiality and seriousness," she said.

Announcing preventive measures, the DCP said, "Following this incident, we have decided to issue a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for schools in Panchkula, and compliance with it will be mandatory for all schools."

"Additionally, Panchkula Police will visit schools and conduct sensitisation and outreach programmes for teachers and students to ensure children's safety on school premises," she said.

"I would also like to assure all parents whose children are studying in schools across Panchkula that their safety remains our highest priority. We will ensure that the investigation into this incident, as well as any such cases in the future, is conducted fairly and that children's safety in schools is maintained at all times," Singh said.

Meanwhile, the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) has taken note of the matter and has directed the District Education Officer, Panchkula, to submit a comprehensive, point-wise factual report regarding the action taken by the Education Department.

HSCPCR Chairperson Tripti Sheoran said the Commission received a video of the incident on Thursday evening.

"I received a video of this incident yesterday evening, showing a six-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy. Given the manner in which he carried out this act, we intend to have the child undergo a mental health evaluation and counselling to understand why he behaved this way. We need to investigate whether his family environment, the area he lives in, or perhaps his exposure to aggressive video games - which many children play these days - contributed to his actions. Only after considering all these factors will we be able to provide a full assessment of the child's behaviour and the reasons behind his conduct," Sheoran said.

The family has questioned the school's security arrangements, claiming the accused third-grade student himself led them to the injured, unconscious girl, and asked why no one noticed the alleged attack despite CCTV cameras monitored from the principal's office. They alleged that a third-grade student lured the girl to the first floor under the pretext that her father had called for her, and it was there that she was subjected to a brutal assault. They have also raised concerns regarding the school's CCTV surveillance.

The family alleged that the very same third-grade student accused of assaulting the girl was the one who led them to her, where she lay injured and unconscious inside the school premises.

The girl's uncle claimed that when the family arrived at the school searching for her, it was this third-grade student who took them to where she was.

"This incident serves as a lesson for all schools. It's crucial, because if such incidents occur-despite having so many schools and so many teachers-then no one will want to send their children to school. Whether it's a private school or a government school-the staff are paid substantial salaries, yet they fail to do their jobs properly," he told ANI.

The family alleged that the girl was first struck with a stone and subsequently attacked with a flower pot.

It is further alleged that the girl was dragged for a significant distance, leaving her severely injured and in an unconscious state. The family has also questioned the school management's surveillance system.

Further investigation in the matter is underway.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)