The Hindu : New Delhi News : School wall caves in, kid hurt, authorities unmoved

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Thursday, Mar 01, 2007
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New Delhi

School wall caves in, kid hurt, authorities unmoved

Madhur Tankha

Mishap took place at Lady Irwin School's jr. branch

NEW DELHI: Ten-year-old Mahima Gupta is lying in the Intensive Care Unit of Max Healthcare at Saket here for no fault of hers. On February 20, this Class IV student of Lady Irwin School's junior branch in Defence Colony was seriously injured when the boundary wall fell on her.

Mahima has already undergone a series of operations and is now in the ICU of the hospital's paediatric wing.

"Mahima was waiting for her school bus to arrive when the boundary wall of the school caved in on her. Though Mahima succeeded in helping a nursery student, she could not save herself," said her father Sanjay Gupta.

Stating that parents had often complained to the school authorities about the "sorry state" of the building, Mr. Gupta, a businessman, said: "The school building is in a dilapidate state. The auditorium also needs urgent repair work."

"My daughter's condition continues to be critical," said Mr. Gupta. "The school authorities admitted her to Moolchand Hospital but did not visit her after that. They told me to pay the bill and said that they would make the payment through cheque later. On the day of the accident, they told me not to register an FIR and promised to promote my daughter to the next standard." Mr. Gupta is trying to get a complaint lodged at the local police station.

When contacted, the school authorities said theirs was a Government-aided school and not a private one. "It takes time to arrive at decisions regarding payment. The school management will take a decision on this," they added.

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