Boy dies after fall from classroom ....GRILLS REMOVED, WINDOW KEPT OPEN AT SILIGURI SCHOOL

TT, 9 July 2019, Siliguri: A Class IX student died and his friend suffered serious injuries when they fell from the second floor of Narayana School through an open window of their classroom at Jatiakhali here on Monday afternoon.

Preliminary probe suggests that the two boys pushed each other casually and lost balance. Rishabh Arya, the deceased boy, hailed from Purnia in Bihar. The iron grill of the window had loosened and was removed on Sunday by the school staff. It had a wide opening with only sliding glasses.

The incident has sparked questions over the safety of students at the school as the authorities have admitted the lapse. Policemen from New Jalpaiguri station have visited the spot and have initiated a probe.

"The grill at the classroom had loosened. That is why it was removed for replacement. I had no information that it was removed and came to know about it only after the unfortunate incident," said T. Rajni Prasad, the principal.

The school is a co-educational secondary institution affiliated to CBSE. It has around 400 students.

Sources said after the lunch time, as the class was about to start, these two students, Rishabh Arya and Rittick Ku- mar Singh, had moved close to the window, where the slide was open. Their class is in second floor of the school building.

"We are yet to know how they fell from the opening but preliminary information suggests that they might have been casually pushed each other near the window and both lost control. As they fell, a glass slide also got damaged," said a police source.

The police have also learnt that while Rishabh fell first, Rittick tried to save him. He however, also fell.

As they hit the ground, stu- dents and teachers rushed out. Both suffered serious injuries and were picked up by teachers and other staff, who rushed them to a private hospital that is around two kilometres away.

"We took them to the private hospital immediately but unfortunately, we lost Rishabh. Rittick is under treatment. Most of the students and the teachers are yet to recover from the shock. His parents have been informed," said a teacher.

Rittick, sources said, has ended with a fractured left hand and has also suffered in- juries in the other hand and in waist.

Rishabh, school sources said, hails from Purnia in the neighbouring state of Bihar, located around 170 kilometres from here and was a boarder.

Rittick, on the other hand, is a day scholar and stays with his parents at the CRPF quarters on the outskirts of Siliguri.

"We have nothing to say. Our dreams have shattered as Rishabh had plans to go for higher studies in Delhi," said Arun Kumar Bharati, his father and a lawyer based in Purnia.

Gopal Kumar Singh, Rittick's father, was also in shock. "It is surprising that such an incident has happened during the school hours. The authorities should clarify," he said.

The incident has also prompted the Guardians' Forum of North Bengal (GFNB), an association of parents, to react.

"There has been a sheer lapse on the part of the authorities or else, how can two students fall from a window during class hours. The administration should seek explanation from the school and should also set up a monitor- ing system to ensure safety of students in schools across Siliguri sub-division," said Sandipan Bhattacharya, president, GFNB.

Officials at NJP police station said no complaint has been filed so far. They have registered an unnatural death case and have started investigation. "We will speak with all concerned persons in due course," said an officer.

Later in the evening, state tourism minister Gautam Deb visited the private hospital to known about Rittick's condition. He also spoke with the families of both students..