Class 11 student dies after falling from school building in Faridabad; father alleges punishment, school denies

Student dies after fall from Faridabad school building; probe underway

A Class 11 student died on Tuesday after falling from the third floor of Navodaya Vidya Niketan Senior Secondary School on Ghazipur Road in Faridabad, according to police and school officials. The student, identified as Jhanvi, was 16 years old. School staff rushed her to a hospital, but she died on the way, as reported by The Tribune and Hindustan Times.

The incident took place at around ​1:30 pm, after classes had ended, according to Hindustan Times. Police said she went to the third-floor terrace and jumped. School staff initially took her to a private hospital near the school, but doctors there asked them to take her to Badshah Khan Civil Hospital because it was a police case; she was declared dead there, the principal told Hindustan Times.

The father, Pramod Kumar, a resident of Pali village, alleged that his daughter was made to stand in the sun for about four hours as punishment, after a teacher learned she had gone out to eat biryani without informing anyone, as reported by The Tribune. "Jhanvi was allegedly made to stand in the sun for about four hours as punishment. She was deeply distressed by the incident," he said, according to The Tribune.

The father also said that the school alerted him about an hour after the incident, according to Hindustan Times. He told Hindustan Times that he had reached out to his daughter's classmates for information, who told him that his daughter had been punished earlier in the day. "One of the female teachers in the school had punished her by making her stand in the sun for at least four hours because some students had created some ruckus in class," he alleged. He said the school administration should have called him instead of giving a harsh punishment, and that they alerted him almost after an hour's delay.

School principal RK Sharma denied the allegations. He told The Tribune that Jhanvi had not been subjected to any form of punishment and had left the classroom after telling others that she was going to the restroom. In a statement to Hindustan Times, Sharma said, "She had gone to the bathroom accompanied by a female non-teaching staff member. However, after leaving the bathroom, she went to the terrace and jumped to the ground all of a sudden. We don’t know why she took such a step." He said the school administration is cooperating with the police investigation.

Police investigation

Police from the Dabua police station reached the school and inspected the premises. An investigation has been initiated, and statements are being collected from the school management, teachers, classmates and the student’s family members, according to The Tribune.

Inspector Sumer Singh, SHO of the Dabua police station, said: "Every aspect of the circumstances surrounding the student’s death is being examined. A clear picture of the cause of the incident and the question of responsibility will emerge only after the investigation is completed. A probe is underway," as reported by The Tribune.

Earlier, Dabua SHO Sumer told ANI that police had received information about the incident and that the reason behind it was not clear. "We have just received information. There is a girl, an eleventh-grade student. We learned that she jumped from the third floor and died. Her body has been brought here. Further investigation is underway," he said. "No complaint has been received yet. This is a matter for investigation;the reason is not yet clear,and nothing specific has come to light so far."

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, told Hindustan Times that the father has alleged that the 16-year-old was "punished by a teacher and made to stand in the sun for four hours after which she took the extreme step". He said the allegations are being verified and a case will be registered after the father submits a formal complaint. "Police are already quizzing the school authorities and scanning CCTV camera footage for clues looking at the sensitivity of the case," he added.

Separate incident in Delhi

In a separate incident, a 16-year-old girl allegedly died by suicide at her residence in West Kanti Nagar under Krishna Nagar Police Station on Monday, police told ANI. Police said a PCR call regarding the incident was received at around 12:23 pm. The room was locked from inside when personnel reached the location,and the Fire Brigade broke open the lock. A Centralised Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance team examined the girl and declared her dead at the spot, police said. She was later taken to Dr Hedgewar Hospital, where doctors declared her dead, according to ANI. Police said the girl had been staying at the residence for around 45 days with her maternal aunt and a cousin. She had reportedly travelled to Delhi from Bihar for ear treatment, while her family resides in Gujarat. The police recorded the statement of a relative and informed the girl's parents about the incident, ANI reported.

Similar case in Jaipur

Hindustan Times noted that this case follows a similar incident in Jaipur where a Class 4 student died by suicide. The report did not provide further details on the Jaipur case.