School bus tragedy: Trustee, principal arrested, get bail

The principal and trustee of Sion-based Shri Vallabhashram school were arrested by the Sion police for causing the death due to negligence of Viraj Parmar, 9, a student of the school.

The principal and trustee of Sion-based Shri Vallabhashram school were arrested by the Sion police for causing the death due to negligence of Viraj Parmar, 9, a student of the school.

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Parmar had died on November 23 from injuries sustained when he stuck his head out of the window of a moving school bus and hit it against a metal hoarding fixed on a lamppost.

The principal, Rosy Singh, 50, and Swami Chaitanya Swaroopdas, 72, the trustee were arrested on December 3. They were released on bail after paying a surety amount of Rs3,000 each, said an officer Sion police station, requesting anonymity.

He added that a day prior to their arrest, the Sion police arrested an advertising official, Sachin Vishnukadam, 30, subsequently bailed out for Rs6,000, who was in charge of putting up the hoarding.

When HT contacted Singh, the principal, she refused to comment.

On November 23, Viraj, a Class three student of Shri Vallabhashram school, seated on the last row of the school bus, was injured after a hoarding for a coaching class on a lamppost hit his head when he stuck his head out of the window as the bus started moving forward. He started bleeding and was admitted to Sion hospital, where he died while doctors were treating him.

Assistant police inspector of Sion police station, SP Salvi, said, “The principal and trustee of the school were held as it was considered their responsibility to appoint a bus service that would keep the children safe.” He added that the advertising official was held for placing the hoarding at a level much lower than normal, causing the mishap.

Senior inspector of Sion police station Dilip Patil said, “After the three initial arrests, three more persons including the trustee and college principal were arrested in the case. A total of six persons have been arrested in the case so far.”

The Sion police had arrested the driver and cleaner of the school bus on the day when the incident occured, on charges of causing death due to negligence. Then, on November 26, they had arrested the owner of the school bus, Jabarani Albert Ashir.

The police also asked for a report from the BEST and the BMC regarding rules that may have been flouted by the school authorities, the advertisers, or the bus owners.