13-year-old Delhi boy collapses, dies in washroom; family blames school

A 13-year-old boy died mysteriously after he collapsed in the washroom of his school in Rohini on Friday morning. Police said they are awaiting the boy’s autopsy reports to ascertain the cause of death.

According to the police, the teenager, a class 8 student of a government co-ed school in Rohini’s Sector 6, had gone to the washroom around 8.30 am.

The school administration told police that the boy started shivering and then collapsed on his back. “Other students from the school, who saw the child collapse, alerted the teachers and staff. School authorities then rushed the boy to a hospital where the doctors pronounced him dead. His family members were informed and the body was preserved for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death,” a police officer, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said.

Deputy commissioner of police (Rohini) SD Mishra said they have not received any complaint. “We are waiting for the autopsy reports,” he said.

Police are checking the CCTV footage from the school compound and are also checking if the child had any medical history. “We are speaking to his family members to know more about him. The school students and staff who witnessed the incident are also being questioned to establish the sequence of events,” the officer said.

The teenager’s family has levelled allegations against the school authorities. “My child was absolutely fine when I dropped him off at school in the morning. Within an hour, I got a call from the school that he had fallen sick. When we reached there, they told us that his condition had deteriorated and he was shifted to a hospital. When I reached the hospital, I was told that my son was dead,” the boy’s father, said.

The man said his son never had any medical problems and the school staff is responsible for his child’s death.

Director of the Delhi government education department Binay Bhushan said the education department has conducted a preliminary inquiry in the case. “No foul play has been found on the school’s part,” he said.