NAMAKKAL: Who’d have though that a game of cricket - something that is commonplace and intrinsic to the ethos of childhood here - could set the stage for a freak accident? That too when the game is played within the ‘safe’ confines of a school and in the presence of the physical education teacher.
This 12-year-old certainly did not think so before getting knocked on the head by the cricket bat - yes, the bat - and slipping into a coma.
Sunday was just another day for a bunch of students from Government School at Vittampalayam in Tiruchengode, Namakkal. P Vigneswaran, son of Perumal of Nallur Kandampalayam, near Tiruchengode, was one among the unsuspecting adolescents. They were in the school grounds for cricket coaching with the PE teacher Kuppuraj.
It was the teacher’s turn to bat -- a class of show and teach. And that he did, sending the bat flying towards Vigneswaran fielding in the slip. The bat hit the boy square on the head, injuring him grievously. He, who had fallen unconscious by then, was immediately rushed to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital.
Hospital Dean Kanagaraj informs that the boy has severe injury to the brain with internal bleeding. He remains in a critical state, he adds.On the other hand, a case of negligence (338 of IPC - causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of other) has been booked against the teacher Kuppuraj and invetigation was on, informs SP Ara Arularasu.