Haryana school horror: 2 teachers suspended after Class 3 boy assaults girl

The two teachers have been identified as Simranjit Kaur and Pooja Rani. During their suspension, both teachers will remain headquartered at the office of the District Elementary Education Officer.

In Short

• The district elementary education officer has suspended two teachers after the incident
• The teachers have been identified as Simranjit Kaur and Pooja Rani
• The two have been asked to remain headquartered District Elementary Education Officer's office

Nearly three days after a Class 3 boy assaulted a kindergarten girl at Panchkula’s Sanskriti Model School, leaving her critically injured, the District Elementary Education Officer in Haryana suspended two junior basic training (JBT) teachers with immediate effect.

The two teachers have been identified as Simranjit Kaur and Pooja Rani. During their suspension, both teachers will remain headquartered at the office of the District Elementary Education Officer.

The development comes a day after the horrific details of the assault came to light. On October 28, the boy took the little girl to the first floor of the school building on the pretext of letting her meet her father. However, inside an empty classroom, he began assaulting her.

The boy first hit the girl with a stone and then with a flowerpot before banging her head against a desk. The assault continued even after the girl lost consciousness. The boy also dragged her around the school premises by her hair.

Following the assault, the injured girl was rushed to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula. After providing initial treatment, doctors referred her to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, considering the seriousness of her injuries.

She is undergoing treatment, and her condition has since improved.

Following the incident, the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (HSCPCR) took suo motu cognisance of the matter and asked the District Elementary Education Officer to submit a comprehensive report. The Haryana Human Rights Commission also recommended a special system to monitor children's behaviour in schools.

Meanwhile, the Panchkula Police have registered an FIR against the school management under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A preliminary investigation has pointed to negligence by the school management, raising serious questions over child safety and supervision arrangements on the premises.

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