Student dies after being made to run as punishment

Karnal, Dec 20 (UNI) An eleventh class student died allegedly when he was made to run in the school as punishment for coming late this morning.

Gurmail Singh, Father of the deceased Arvinder Singh, a student of Government Sr Sec School here, accused the school authorities of not heeding his request of not to engage Arvinder in ''such (physical) activities, as he was a heart patient''.

Sunil, an XIIth class student of the same school who belongs to Arvinder's village, Manchuri in the district, also confirmed that he was made to run along with 40-50 boys in the morning.

Principal of the school Ashwani Thiya, who was on leave today and rushed to the school after the incident, however, denied the charge.

He said the warming up exercises like running, Yoga and Mass Physical Training are conducted during the prayer time but the boy was not among those who ran today as he had come late.

He also claimed that the school had no prior information of the student's poor medical condition.

He insisted that it was after the death of the child that the father revealed that the boy suffered from a ''contracted heart'' for which an operation at AIIMS was scheduled.

"The students are made to pick up litter like polythene bags from the school ground for coming late to the school", he added.

D.P.E.Gurnam Singh and P.T.I. Laxman Singh, however, said they saw him descending the steps of the verandah to the ground.

After a few steps, he sat on the ground and fainted. He was promptly given a message on his feet and hands. When his relatives was contacted on phone, they told the teachers to immediately rush him to Gyan Bhushan Hospital as he had been getting treatment there.

''It seemed he had died in the school ground as his heart-beat was missing'', they added.

The school was closed after the incident and the whole staff along with the D.E.O. and B.E.O. visited his house in Manchuri village, where his body was taken from the hospital.

UNI