Child’s death sparks outrage
The death of a student in an accident on Friday provoked a rampage on Saturday at Doon Valley Cambridge, a private school on the Ferozepur-Zira road
The death of a student in an accident on Friday provoked a rampage on Saturday at Doon Valley Cambridge, a private school on the Ferozepur-Zira road.
A tractor-trailer ran over Mankirat Singh, 4, when the school-van driver allegedly dropped him and other children of Khadoor village on the Zira-Makhu main road. In protest, the child’s parents and other people from the village near Zira destroyed the school property.
The police in the Zira subdivision town of Ferozepur district have registered a case against the school’s director and van driver, and the driver of the tractor-trailer.
“The driver was in the habit of dropping children on the main road,” said Partap Singh, who lost his child in the accident. “He avoided entering the village.”
The villagers had taken the matter to the school director and not sent children school for a fortnight over this. The director then assured the parents that children would be dropped home safe. “The school didn’t keep its promise,” said Partap Singh.
On Saturday morning, the child’s parents of and women from the village protested outside the school and laid the body at its gates. They called for stern legal action against the school authorities, and later took the body to the Ferozepur Civil Hospital for autopsy. Teaching had been called off.
The protesters entered the school and smashed its property, including windowpanes, van, and the director’s office. Superintendent of police Raminder Singh led the squad that took the situation under control and pacified people with the assurance of action.
Senior superintendent of police Hardiyal Singh Mann confirmed that a case had been registered.