Notice to school and Police over student’s death during excursion

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights has issued notices to Integrated Truth Learning Public School in Dwarka here, the Delhi Police and the Superintendent of Police, Mussoorie, asking them to submit detailed reports on the tragic death of a ten-year-old boy during a recent excursion to Mussoorie.

The DCPCR took up the case following a complaint by the boy's parents.

Shivam Soni Verma was found dead in a hotel in Mussoorie on May 9 by a guard. His parents received a call from the school authorities the same day informing that Shivam had fallen off the balcony of his hotel room and was critically injured. Half-an-hour later, they were informed that Shivam had died.

According to the teachers, Shivam was found in his room on the night before when the teachers took their final rounds around 11-30 pm. On the other hand, Shivam's mother stated that she received the last call from Shivam at night, complaining about some uneasiness.

Shivam's parents spoke to his teacher to look into the problem but they claimed that teacher provided an unsatisfactory answer. The next morning Shivam was found dead.

According to the post-mortem report, Shivam had died of severe head injuries and respiratory failure.

In a statement, the Commission said the school authority showed irresponsibility by lodging students and teachers in different blocks ofthe hotel thus eluding students of proper care. Secondly, the teachers knew that Shivam was often harassed by some students and therefore the probability of such a situation arising was possible, it said.

Moreover, the Mussoorie police and the parents complained that the school authorities had failed to provide timely and correct facts that would have helped find the culprits, if any.

The Commission is investigating if the death was caused due to any “criminal negligence” on the part of the school.