Boy dies days after being thrashed by seniors in school: Police registers case of culpable homicide

NEW DELHI: Over a week after a 12-year-old boy died after he was allegedly beaten up by his seniors at a school in north Delhi, a case of culpable homicide has been registered in connection with the incident, police on Thursday said. An information was received from the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital on January 20 regarding the death of a 12-year-old boy during treatment, they said. It was ascertained after reaching the hospital that the boy was admitted in the emergency ward by his father at 7 pm on January 20, police said.

The patient died during the course of treatment, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Manoj Kumar Meena said. Inquest proceedings were initiated and the statements of the father and other family members of the deceased were recorded, he added. Meena said the child's father stated that his son told him after returning from school on January 11 that he was beaten up by the students of senior classes and complained to have an injury in the left knee.

The father took his son to the emergency of the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital where he was prescribed some medicines and referred to the orthopedic OPD for further treatment, the DCP said. The OPD was closed when they had reached the hospital at 3.28 pm on January 11 and the patient did not report to the orthopedic OPD subsequently, he added. The patient was on January 15 taken to a private clinic in Rohini, where some other medicines were prescribed, police said. As the child's health further deteriorated, he was taken to the Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital on January 20 where he died during treatment, the DCP said.

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The child's father has also alleged medical negligence, he added. Accordingly, a medical board was constituted to conduct the deceased's post-mortem, Meena said. As per the autopsy report, the death has been caused due to septicemic shock as a result of an injury to the left knee due to blunt force trauma, he added. The DCP further said that a case has been registered under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC at the Sarai Rohilla police station on the statement of the child's father and further investigation is being carried out.

Vinod Sharma, the victim's grandfather, expressed grief over the incident and said it was the "responsibility of the school teachers and the principal to take care of our child". "My grandchild's dream was to become a fighter pilot, but our dreams are now shattered. We got his body on Tuesday evening after the post-mortem and we are returning home after his cremation,” the child's grandfather said. "We send our children to school to become good human beings. It was the responsibility of the school teachers and the principal to take care of our child," he added.

The child's father had earlier said that his son was assaulted by his seniors in the school and received injuries on his leg. "On January 11, when my son, a student of Class VI, returned home from the government school, he was limping and was in extreme pain. I asked him about the matter, but he did not utter anything," Sharma had told PTI.