Rights panel orders formation of SIT

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 22

The Chairman of the State Child Rights Commission, Sukesh Kalia, today ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to look into the attempted suicide by the 15-year-old student of Cambridge International School, Jalandhar, after her parents recently expressed doubts that she might have been driven to suicide by a boy of the same school.

While the commission today visited the girl at the hospital, its members also met the school authorities and carried out inquiry into the status of the case from the district police.

The 15-year-old student had fallen from the fourth floor of the school, badly injuring her spinal cord and receiving multiple fractures in her limbs. Ever since she regained consciousness recently, after being comatose for over a month, she had alleged that the incident happened after a boy — a Class XI student — from her own school, showed her an obscene picture of her on his mobile.

The parents of the girl have sought action against the students of Class XI who called her to the fourth floor. The police had registered an FIR in this regard. However, the parents have time and again been claiming that the partial CCTV footage released by the school is incomplete evidence and have been demanding more footage from the other camera installed on the same floor, in which, they said better visuals of the incident must have been captured.

Speaking to the press after a visit to the hospital and marathon meetings with the parents, the police and school officials, the Child Right Commission Chairman Sukesh Kalia said, “We have talked to the police, parents and the principal. I’ve talked to the commissioner as well. We have directed an SIT to be formed of senior officials so that the merits and facts of the case are brought to the fore.”

“I have also asked the school management to bear all medical expenses of the girl, even after she is discharged and taken home. Nor will the girl be discharged without the will of the parents,” he added.

Speaking on whether the commission is probing into the possible lapses by the school in ensuring security, Kalia said, “We are still investigating. The SIT will look into the issue. In fact, we wanted to visit the school as well but didn’t because we did not want students to suffer. I don’t want other students to be affected. In the investigation, if they are found at fault, we will initiate action against them.”

Speaking on the parents’ demand for additional CCTV footage, he said, “I have seen the CCTV footage. Based on that, the investigation so far has been shaped. However, if there is any additional footage of the CCTV, maybe another angle or a camera in another direction, it is the job of the SIT to look into the issue deeply. Anything further on the issue can only be commented after due investigation.”

Responding to allegations that parents were under pressure in the case, Kalia said, “There is no such pressure on them. I’ve talked to them separately and discussed each and every point with them, asking them their point of view on the case.” Speaking on what is being done to ascertain if it’s actually a matter of abetment to suicide, Kalia said, “The SIT shall prepare a report on its findings. They will investigate this. If need be, I’ll come again. Our concern is only that justice will be delivered looking into the due facts and merits of the case.”

SHO police station number 7 Onkar Singh, ADCP Suderviszhi, Deepa Dogra Academic Director of the school and principal Kiranjit Dhillon, Deputy Director, Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, were present during the investigations. While the school director and principal came in quite late in the day, when questioned on the missing CCTV footage, academic director Deepa Dogra refused to comment, terming the matter being under legal scrutiny.

Unanswered questions

The greatest mystery in the case remains on two key issues – whether the showing of picture to the girl was the actual trigger for her fall. Also, there is still no trace of the elusive footage the parents have been citing they haven’t been shown 

How the case unfolded

• Class IX standard students falls from the fourth floor of the school on January 10
• The incident was earlier termed a suicide case, but after the girl came to senses about a week ago, the abetment to suicide angle surfaced
• Parents held a conference, alleging the girl had been shown an obscene photograph by a boy who called her to the fourth floor of the school building on the fateful day minutes before the incident
• Police lodge an FIR against two senior boys in the division No. 7 police station under Sections 307 of the IPC, 354-D of the IPC, 67 of the IT Act and 12 POSCO Act on February 17
• A day later, police visit homes of the persons named in the FIR for investigation. Smart phones and relevant evidence seized by police
• Child Rights Commission orders investigation into the case by a SIT of senior police officials