Dropped on the wrong side of road, Class 3 girl hit by car, in coma

Jiya, seven-year-old daughter of a Wipro executive, Pankaj Juneja, suffered swelling in the brain and undergoing treatment at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

A class 3 student of Gurgaon’s Ryan International School is in a coma after being hit by a car when her school bus allegedly dropped her on the wrong side of the road and left her unaccompanied.

A group of parents protest at Ryan International School in Gurgaon against after Jiya’s accident. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Jiya, seven-year-old daughter of a Wipro executive, Pankaj Juneja, suffered swelling in the brain and undergoing treatment at Medanta hospital in Gurgaon.

The incident took place on May 9 when the school bus, running allegedly without a conductor and an attendant -- mandatory for school buses, dropped the girl on the opposite side near Krishna Colony in Sector 9. A speeding car hit her when she was crossing the road.

Jiya’s parents registered a complaint at Sector 4 police outpost.

“We have registered an FIR under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life) and 338 (grievous hurt) of Indian Penal Code and are investigating the matter,” said Sanjay Kumar, the investigation officer.

Refuting the parent’s allegations that the bus was without an attendant, the school authorities claimed that a teacher accompanied the girl. The administration officials said the teacher got down from the bus holding Jiya’s hand but a student shouted out for her from the bus and the teacher went inside to attend to the student. Meanwhile, Jiya rushed to cross the road, the school said.

“The bus driver, Vinod, was not new as claimed by the parents. He has 19 years of experience,” said a teacher who didn’t want to be named.

Principal of the school, Peeya Sharma, said that the school would bear the expenses of the girl’s treatment.

The school agreed to pay for the girl’s treatment after a protest by parents at the school’s Sector 40 branch on Friday.

“We met the parents and wish the girl speedy recovery. We will bear the cost of her treatment,” Peeya Sharma, principal of Ryan International School, said.

With inputs from Isha Sahni