Police question teachers in bansdroni school negligence case

Kolkata: Police on Wednesday said they had completed the questioning of all three teachers— the principal, a science teacher and a managing committee member—who were mentioned in an FIR of negligence, registered after the death of a class 3 boy, Ayush Kumar Nath, at a private school in Bansdroni on Sunday.

Ayush’s father Ashish Kumar Nath and mother expressed anger at none of the school authorities being arrested yet. Ashish said, “The way police handled the matter, we felt those three would be arrested but nothing happened. Police are not cooperating with us.”

Officers said they had sought several documents from the school. “We will seek some documents from the child’s parents, too,” said an officer. Among the documents sought were the SOP followed in school in case a child reported sick, the guidelines for teachers to follow while handling student problems, the child’s health records from all hospitals, including SSKM, where the child was admitted before his death, and the boy’s medical file, if any.

“We tried getting the final post-mortem report on Wednesday but it may take a couple of more days. It will be an important evidence,” said the officer.

Police said the science teacher questioned was the one whom Ayush had first approached, saying he was feeling unwell in the very first period on May 13. The two others were the principal and a managing committee member though no confirmation came from the school.

Ayush reportedly fell ill at school on May 13, a day before the vacation began. His father, Ashish Kumar Nath, alleged the school, led by the science teacher, failed to inform them about the child feeling unwell and made Ayush wait until the dispersal, asking him to sit with his “head down”, at a place, where the sun fell on his face.

According to police officers, initial questioning revealed the initial response to Ayush’s illness was that he might have fallen ill for having antibiotics. Police said in CCTV footage, they found Ashwalking out, holding his father’s hand. “We visited each of the four-five hospitals the child was taken to and learnt he had a tumour. At IRIS Hospital, we went through the CT scan. The child died on Sunday. We lodged a negligence case,” said a police officer.

The school issued a statement that said, “In school hours, he appeared normal and fit. But at the time of dispersal, he complained of feeling unwell. The school immediately attended to him with utmost care and concern and thereafter handed him safely to his father, who took him home along with his brother.” The statement added the school was ready to cooperate with the law so that the truth was established, and the intention and people defaming them were revealed. They urged students and parents not to heed or circulate unverified information.