Devansh Meena: Ryan International School principal, 4 others arrested

Five days after six-year-old student of Ryan International School died in the sewage tank under the school amphitheatre, the Delhi police on Thursday arrested five school emplo-yees, including the principal, in connection with the incident.

Confirming the arrests, deputy commissioner of police, south district, Prem Nath said the arrested school employees are principal Sandhya (50), class teacher Meenakshi Kapoor (38), maintenance-in-char-ge Puran Singh (65), RO operator Yogesh Kholiya (23) and gardener Ram Narayan (44). All of them were booked under Section 304-A for negligence. They were granted bail by a Delhi court.

On January 30, Class 1 student of the school, Devansh Meena, was found dead inside the sewage ta-nk about an hour after he went missing from his classroom. His father Heth Ram Meena, who is a radiologist with AIIMS, has been alleging foul play in the incident although the police has refrained from commenting on the issue while not ruling out any possibility at the same time. A senior police officer said from investigations, so far, it seems that there was negligence on part of all five persons who were arrested. “Some procedural lapses have come to the fore,” said the senior police officer, adding, “On the basis of these, criminal proceedings have been initiated against the school authorities.”

The police sources said that one of the lapses was the refusal of the school staff to fish out the boy’s body from the tank, which, eventually, was done by a Class 11 student, putting his life at risk as well. There was negligence in keeping the door to amphitheatre open, added the police.

Besides, the school authorities did not inform the police about the mishap.