Investigation Widens After Panchkula School Incident

CHANDIGARH — Facing mounting pressure over institutional accountability and student safety in state-run institutions, the Haryana Government has suspended the principal of the school where a six-year-old kindergarten student was severely assaulted last month.

Neelu, serving as the principal of Shaheed Major Anuj Rajput Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School in Sector 20, Panchkula, was suspended with immediate effect under Rule 5 of the Haryana Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 2016. The order, issued by the Secondary Education Department and signed by Principal Secretary Vijay Singh Dahiya, directs that the principal's headquarters during her suspension will be the office of the District Education Officer in Ambala. She is barred from leaving her designated headquarters without prior authorization from competent authorities.

The administrative action follows an escalating police investigation and public outrage over the October 28 incident, in which an eight-year-old Class III student allegedly dragged a six-year-old girl into a classroom, repeatedly striking her with a brick and other objects before leaving her unconscious.

Legal Action and Administrative Lapses

Panchkula Police have registered a formal First Information Report (FIR) against the suspended principal, the class in-charge, and a school security guard under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Prior to the principal's suspension, the Education Department had taken disciplinary action against two Junior Basic Training (JBT) teachers—Simranjeet Kaur and Pooja Rani—citing gross negligence in supervision and a failure to uphold mandatory safety protocols on school premises.

The victim was initially rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh. Medical personnel reported that the young girl regained consciousness after nearly 40 hours and is currently out of danger.

State-Level Intervention and Safety Audits

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from child rights advocates. The Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights intervened swiftly, demanding a comprehensive report from education authorities detailing the sequence of events, supervisory failures, and punitive measures implemented against culpable personnel.

In response to the growing crisis, the state government constituted a five-member inquiry committee, headed by the Panchkula Additional Deputy Commissioner, to conduct a thorough fact-finding mission. Furthermore, state education officials announced plans for a comprehensive safety audit across all government and private educational institutions in Haryana.

State Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda reiterated the administration's zero-tolerance stance on lapses in student welfare, assuring the public that strict disciplinary and legal consequences will follow for any official found negligent in their duties.