Bengaluru, July 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) A 12-year-old student of a residential school in Bengaluru died under suspicious circumstances on Wednesday, prompting allegations of assault by teachers and protests by his family members and relatives.
The deceased has been identified as Gurukiran, a Class 6 student at the prominent school located in Kadayarappanahalli village in Bengaluru North Taluk. He was the son of Raghavendra, a resident of Subedarpalya.
According to the school management, Gurukiran collapsed while jogging on the school campus early in the morning. School authorities informed his parents over the phone around 6 a.m., stating that he had fallen ill and had been shifted to a hospital. However, by the time the parents reached the hospital, the boy had died.
The bereaved family has alleged that Gurukiran was physically assaulted by teachers using iron rods and sticks, and claimed that the pressure exerted on him at the residential school led to his death.
Speaking to reporters, Gurukiran's father, Raghavendra, said, "My son was admitted to this school when he was studying in Class 5. The school claims that he collapsed while jogging this morning. But when we reached the hospital, we found him dead. I suspect something happened inside the school. The teachers might have assaulted him or done something to him."
He further alleged that another student informed the family that Gurukiran had been beaten with an iron rod while staying in the hostel. "We have been told that the physical education teacher assaulted him. The police are protecting the teacher," he alleged.
Raghavendra said his son had never complained about any harassment or assault at the school. "He never shared any complaints with us. What could happen to a child studying in Class 6? I strongly suspect he was assaulted. The school called us at around 6 a.m., saying he had collapsed while jogging and that his pulse rate had dropped," he said.
Following the incident, Gurukiran's parents and relatives gathered outside the residential school and staged a protest against the management. They alleged that the boy had been beaten with sticks and iron rods and demanded a thorough investigation.
Personnel from the Bagalur Police Station rushed to the school and attempted to pacify the agitated family members and relatives.
Another relative, Yashasvini, alleged that the family was initially not allowed to see Gurukiran's body after reaching the hospital.
"When we reached the hospital, we were not allowed to see the child's body. We later learned that the school staff had taken him to another hospital. We don't know what actually happened. When we asked the management for the CCTV footage, they claimed that the cameras were damaged and the footage was unavailable," she said.
Questioning the school's version, she added, "If he suffered a heart attack, there should have been some signs. They have not provided any proper explanation and are simply saying that he collapsed while jogging. He was perfectly healthy. During the summer vacation, he spent time with us and never had any health issues. He was never hospitalised before. How are we supposed to believe this?"
The family also questioned the school's claim that Gurukiran completed two rounds of jogging before collapsing during the third one. They alleged that the management failed to provide CCTV footage from either the jogging area or the room where he was reportedly taken after collapsing.
"They are saying the CCTV footage is unavailable because the cameras were damaged. We found that the CCTV cameras had been removed and the wires had been cut. We suspect foul play. Other students have also told us that children are beaten in the school," a relative alleged.
Tension prevailed at the school as angry parents allegedly assaulted the physical education teacher in the presence of police personnel. The police intervened and managed to rescue the teacher from the agitated crowd.
Police have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of Gurukiran's death. Further investigation is underway.
When contacted, the phone went unanswered at the residential school. The school is yet to react to the allegations.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz