Patna: The case of a class 5 student who was burnt alive inside a government school in Patna has taken a dramatic turn, with her family filing an FIR alleging she was murdered by those meant to protect her.
The 12-year-old died on Wednesday after being found with severe burn injuries in the bathroom of Chitkohra Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya. According to her family, she had seen a male and female teacher in an “objectionable condition” a week earlier and was allegedly threatened not to report it. They allege that she was targeted and killed to prevent her from speaking out.
Her elder sister said the girl had left home for school at 9am, and the incident occurred barely an hour later, yet the family — who live next to the school — were not informed until noon. “The teacher had been threatening her. She was going to tell the principal on Wednesday,” the sister alleged.
The girl’s father, a vegetable seller, has demanded capital punishment for those responsible. “The murderers of my daughter should be hanged,” he said. Relatives also accused police of mistreating the grieving family, claiming officers lathi-charged neighbours and detained several people instead of showing sympathy.
The incident has sparked outrage locally, with the family alleging systemic negligence. Investigators found that CCTV cameras installed at the school were non-functional. Initial police findings suggested the toilet door had been bolted from inside and was later forced open to rescue the child, who succumbed to her injuries in hospital.
City SP (Central) Diksha confirmed that a case has been registered on the father’s statement and that a special team, led by Secretariat DSP-1, has been formed to probe the matter. Teachers and staff have been questioned, and the Child Welfare Committee also attempted an inspection but found the school closed.
