Faridabad student death: Haryana human rights panel seeks school safety report

The commission directed authorities to examine school safety, CCTV coverage, disciplinary practices, counselling support and the police investigation

The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of a 16-year-old Class XI student of a private school on Dabua-Ghazipur Road in Faridabad and sought detailed factual and action-taken reports from the concerned authorities.

The commission’s intervention is primarily an inquiry and fact-finding exercise and should not be construed as a judicial finding on the allegations. The directions seek reports and investigations by the concerned authorities, while the commission does not itself determine criminal guilt or innocence in the manner of a court. Any criminal liability arising from the incident will remain subject to the police investigation and proceedings under law.

According to news reports cited by the commission, the student allegedly jumped from the terrace of the school’s third-floor building at around 1pm to 1:30pm on September 1, after classes had ended. School staff took her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead from injuries sustained in the fall.

The reports alleged that the student had been punished by a teacher and made to stand in the sun for several hours, reportedly around four hours, before the incident. The school administration has denied the allegations. An FIR under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide, was reportedly registered at Dabua police station on her father’s complaint. Police are examining CCTV footage and questioning teachers, the principal and classmates.

Dr Puneet Arora, assistant registrar, Haryana Human Rights Commission, said corporal punishment and mental harassment had no place in schools. Citing Section 75 and Section 82 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Section 17 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, he said children could not be subjected to physical punishment, cruelty or mental harassment.

“If the allegation of making the student stand in the scorching sun for several hours was established, such conduct would not amount to legitimate discipline. Instead, it would raise serious questions of corporal punishment, humiliation, mental harassment and violation of the child’s dignity and psychological well-being,” he said.

The commission directed the School Education Department to examine the matter and the Director General, Secondary Education, Haryana, to conduct a detailed inquiry into disciplinary practices and safeguards against corporal punishment and mental harassment.

The Commissioner of Police, Faridabad, was asked to report on the FIR and investigation, record statements, investigate the punishment allegation and preserve and examine CCTV footage from the classroom, corridors, school premises, staircase, terrace and other relevant locations.

The Deputy Commissioner and District Education Officer, Faridabad, were directed to examine supervision, access to hazardous areas, CCTV coverage, emergency response, recurrence-prevention measures and counselling and mental-health support. The school management must preserve CCTV footage, attendance and class records, disciplinary records, duty rosters and other relevant material.

Authorities must also examine whether systemic practices of excessive punishment, humiliation, intimidation or unreasonable disciplinary pressure exist at the institution and whether safeguards are adequate.

The matter will next be heard on December 3, 2026, with reports due at least one week before the hearing.