Karnal, December 20
A class XI student of the local Government Senior Secondary School, Arvinder (15), collapsed and died at the school today.
The father of the deceased, Gurmail Singh, alleged that his son died because he was forced to run in the school as punishment for coming late.
Arvinder, a resident of Manchuri village, was a heart patient as one of his heart valves was malfunctioning and doctors had advised his parents that he needed surgery to rectify his condition.
Denying the allegation that the boy died due to punishment, officiating principal of the school Renu said Arvinder had come late to the school but he was not given any punishment and he collapsed while he was coming to attend the assembly.
“We immediately called his parents when he fell unconscious. Gurmail told us to take him to Gian Bhushan Hospital. We took him there but despite the best efforts of doctors he could not be saved,” Renu said.
Principal of the school Ashwini Tuteja, who was on leave, immediately reached the school after he was informed of the incident. He too denied that children were punished so severely for coming late.
“We give them mild punishments like picking up waste paper or plastic bags but they are never asked to take rounds of the school ground,” he said.
Renu and Tuteja also added that the father of the boy had never informed them that his child was a heart patient.
Gurmail said he had specifically told the PT teacher, Gurnam, that Arvinder was suffering from a serious heart condition and he could run or do strenuous work.
Gurmail said: “When I first got the information that my son was no more, the first thought that crossed my mind was that he might have succumbed to his heart condition. But when his
friend, Sunil, a class XII student, informed me that he died because he was made to run as punishment I was outraged.”
Arvinder’s body was handed over to his relatives after a postmortem examination at the Civil Hospital here in the evening.
Gurmail was still undecided about the further course of action he intended to take in this case till the filing of this report.
A holiday was declared in the school as a mark of respect for the deceased.
