Allahabad, Oct 13 (PTI) The Allahabad High Court todaydirected the Uttar Pradesh government's counsel to ensure thepresence of the investigating officer probing the death of a10-year-old student of GD Goenka Public School, Indirapuram,on the next date of hearing.
Hearing a writ petition filed by the school principal,Kavita Sharma, a division bench comprising Justice KrishnaMurari and Justice Akhilesh Chandra Sharma fixed October 23 asthe next date of hearing in the matter.
The court extended till the next date of hearing itsAugust 11 interim order, directing that no coercive step wouldbe taken against the chairman, director, principal and twoothers belonging to G D Goenka Public School, Indirapuram inGhaziabad district, in connection with the death of thestudent in the school.
During the course of hearing, the high court also tookthe reply (counter affidavit) filed by the state government inthe matter on record.
The court had on August 11 directed the state's counselto submit within two weeks all necessary information regardingcollection of material evidence in the investigation conductedtill date.
An FIR was lodged against the school chairman, itsdirector, principal and two others on August 1 at Indirapurampolice station in Ghaziabad in connection with the student'sdeath.
During the course of hearing, the petitioners' counselargued that a bare reading of the FIR showed that thepetitioners had been falsely implicated on the ground ofsuspicion.
It was contended on behalf of the school management thatthe student, Armaan Sehgal, 10, fell in the corridor of theschool and was taken to hospital where he was declared dead.
Thus, there was no direct involvement of any schoolemployee or its management in the case and initiation ofcriminal proceedings against them is bad in law. Hence, theimpugned FIR is liable to be quashed.
However, the counsel for complainant Gulshan Sehgal, whois the father of the victim, contended that it was a custodialdeath.
Armaan, a student of Class 4, died after falling in thesecond-floor corridor outside his classroom in the schoolcomplex on August 1. The boyÂ’s family had alleged negligenceon part of the school authorities. PTI CORR SMNSMN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.