Ramban school staff suspended after Class 7 student found locked inside classroom

Banihal/Jammu: A Class seven student was accidentally locked inside a government middle school after he fell asleep in his classroom on the last working day before the 15-day summer vacation in Ramban district last week, prompting authorities to conduct an inquiry and suspend the entire nine-member staff of the school, officials said on Monday. The boy was rescued more than four hours after the school had closed when a passerby heard his cries for help.

The passerby freed him from the locked classroom and recorded a video of the incident, which later went viral on social media. Taking serious note of the situation, the chief education officer (CEO) of Ramban placed the entire staff of Government Middle School, Krawah, Zone Banihal, under suspension and ordered an inquiry by a three-member panel.

According to an official order issued by the CEO, the incident occurred on July 4, 2026, when the student was found locked inside the school building around 8 pm, well after school hours and just before the summer vacation began. The order described the incident as gross negligence and a dereliction of duty by the officials responsible for the safety and supervision of students.

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It highlighted that this lapse had the potential to endanger the child's life and safety. Pending the outcome of the inquiry, all employees of Government Middle School, Krawah, Zone Banihal, have been placed under suspension with immediate effect under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. During the suspension period, the employees will remain assigned to the same school until further notice, according to the CEO.

The CEO also constituted a three-member inquiry committee, including the principal of Higher Secondary School Girls Banihal (Chairperson), the zonal education officer of Banihal, and the headmaster of High School Bankoot. The committee has been directed to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the incident, determine responsibility for the lapse, and submit a detailed report along with recommendations to the CEO's office within three days. Officials stated that six teachers, including a headmaster and three supporting staff members, are posted at the school.