HC Issues Notice to Delhi Govt, Police Over School Boys’ Drowning

A notice to the Delhi government and Delhi Police on a PIL for the drowning of two school boys has been filed.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, 2 February, issued a notice to the city government and police on a public interest litigation (PIL) by an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator who sought a judicial probe into the deaths by drowning of two students.

The High Court issued notices to the city government, Delhi Police, South Delhi Muncipal Corporation and Ryan International School on the PIL that sought a judicial inquiry into the death of a six-year-old Class I student in the premises of the private school on 30 January.

Read: Ryan International Remains Shut, 3,500 Schools to Be Inspected

A division bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath also sought response from Delhi Disaster Management and a Muncipal Corporation Delhi (MCD) school in the Kapashera area of south Delhi where a five-year-old boy, Ankit, died after falling into an open septic tank on 27 January.

It’s very, very unfortunate. It’s a matter which needs consideration. File status report on the action taken by all the concerned authorities and also the proposed action plan to ensure no such incidents happen again. 

Division Bench

The PIL was filed by AAP legislator Col Devinder Sehrawat (retd.) seeking a judicial inquiry into the death of both the children.

Devansh Meena, the class I student in Ryan International School in Vasant Kunj, was inside the septic tank till sewage workers reached there and fished him out. Police have registered a case of negligence against the authorities in south Delhi and asked the principal to join the probe.

Ryan International School authorities reportedly did not inform the student’s family about the incident for over two hours.

Sehrawat also sought a similar inquiry into Ankit’s death. He died after falling into an open septic tank in an MCD school.

The petition has sought direction for payment of Rs 50 lakh each as compensation to the families of the children.

Besides the judicial inquiry, Sehrawat has also asked the High Court to pass an order for immediate disaster assessment of all the schools in Delhi by a committee comprising of the representatives of the Delhi government, civic officials, disaster management authority and the Delhi Police.