Probe begins, forensic team collects evidence

GORAKHPUR: A three- member forensic team collected evidence from a Deoria school on Tuesday, a day after an unidentified person pushed a class 9 student Neetu Chauhan off the school building’s third floor on Monday.

The 15-year-old had reportedly gone to the toilet on the third floor of the school.

The incident took place at the Modern City Montessori School in Nehru Nagar, Deoria.

Neetu was taken to the Deoria district hospital from where she was referred to the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur but died on the way.

The girl’s father Paramhans Chauhan told HT while being taken to the medical college, Neetu had told him that somebody pushed her off the terrace but she died before she could disclose the name of the culprit.

Deoria senior superintendent of police Rajiv Malhotra said the district magistrate constituted a two-member team to probe the incident . “The post-mortem report shows bursting of liver and brain haemorrhage as cause of death,” he said.

Asked who could be behind the heinous crime, he said the case was being investigated and it will be cracked soon.

The forensic team inspected the third floor, the toilet and stairs and other parts of the school. It also saw school documents, besides enquiring about the teachers, other staff and students.

Though the school remained closed on Tuesday after the incident, the teachers and staff were called for an investigation. The school principal and a teacher are on the run since the incident.

The forensic team collected a piece of cloth with blood stains and some hair strands from the third floor.

As the third floor is surrounded by a three-foot- high boundary wall, it is believed the girl did not fall on her own , rather somebody pushed her off the third floor when she had gone to the toilet there.

The forensic team also tried to collect footage related to the incident but both the two CCTV cameras installed at the third floor were defunct .

A teacher, who refused to be named, said the school administration had given Rs 10,000 to electrician to repair the CCTVs but he didn’t repair it.

Police have filed a case against an unidentified person under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code on the basis of the complaint lodged by the girl’s father.

The incident comes just 10 days after a seven-old boy was found murdered with his throat slit at Ryan International School in Gurugram. The Gurugram incident has led to a nationwide uproar and evoked concern about the safety of children in schools.

NEETU WAS TAKEN TO THE DEORIA DISTRICT HOSPITAL FROM WHERE SHE WAS REFERRED TO THE BRD MEDICAL COLLEGE IN GORAKHPUR BUT DIED ON THE WAY.