UKG girl run over by school bus, irate relatives block highway

A four-year-old girl was run over by a school bus outside a private school in Adampur today. Eleven persons have been booked.

Kirat Kaur, daughter of Inderjit Singh, a resident of Udesiyan village in Adampur, was getting down from the bus outside her school at Alawalpur in Jalandhar when the incident happened. Kirat was studying in UKG.

Daughter of a car mechanic, the father of the girl in his complaint to the police alleged that she was run over by the same bus (PB08-DG-8214) which had been picking and dropping her to the school everyday. The father also alleged that he had asked the school authorities to hire a person who may help kids board and get down from the bus.

Alleging negligence on part of the school authorities, he made a complaint against bus driver Jiwan Singh, school principal Bindu, chairman Swami Ram Bharti along with others, including the school manager and board members.

A case has been registered against the school's 10 management personnel as well as the driver under Sections 281, 106 (1), 3 and 5 of the BNS at the Adampur police station. While the police had detained driver Jiwan Singh for questioning, officials said a formal arrest could only be made after the post-mortem report of the deceased girl is received.

Kirat Kaur reached school today by bus. As soon as she got down from the bus near the school gate, the driver started the bus and the girl was run over by it. The driver could not judge her presence near the door.

The incident happened between 7 am and 8 am. The driver had fled the spot but was caught later. While Kirat was taken to a local (Adampur) private hospital, she was then referred to a Jalandhar-based private hospital. As per her father, by the time he reached there, she had been declared dead.

While the school is on the highway, irate relatives and residents blocked the road for about 20 minutes. The Adampur police reached the spot and pacified the residents and launched investigation.

DSP Adampur, Kulwant Singh said, "An FIR has been lodged after the statement of the girl's father and the accused will be acted against. The matter is under investigation and the report of the post-mortem is awaited."