It was a silent protest but the faces of the 500 odd people spoke more than what tongues could. Carrying candles and placards that read “Justice for Shaan”, old students and residents of Nainital demanded justice for Shaan Prajapati, a 14-year-old student of Class IX of Sherwood College, Nainital. Shaan passed away on November 13 due to septicaemia. His mother, a resident of Nepal who led the candlelight vigil, says her son was denied immediate medical attention and he died due to negligence on the part of school Principal Amandeep Singh Sandhu and the management.
After large scale protests on social media and public protests in Nepal by the alumni of the school, a candlelight vigil was organised in Nainital where Shaan’s mother, Neena Shresta, addressed the media.
“There was utter negligence on the part of Sandhu since my child complained of being unwell on November 9 and he was only taken to the school infirmary on November 11. The nurse who attended to him was not authorised to give him antibiotics. And we were not even informed by the school about Shaan’s illness when he was finally taken to the Bombay hospital in Haldwani, where he was in ICU. When his condition deteriorated, a student from the school informed us. We clearly told the principal that he should be taken in a well-equipped ambulance to Delhi with a doctor. But the ambulance that the principal sent Shaan in had just a technician.” Shaan died on the way to Delhi and when his mother saw his body he was in the school uniform and not the hospital robes.
When contacted the Principal, he refused to speak but the press statement released by the school says, “On perceiving no change in his deteriorating condition the doctors referred him to Delhi. After all the necessary arrangements were made Shaan was immediately moved to Delhi. The Principal along with his House Master also left for Delhi. During this whole period the Principal was in constant touch with the mother of the child and was updating her on the child’s health status on a regular basis.”
The old students and Maneka Gandhi, Minister of Women and Child Development, have written to the Bishop requesting an enquiry into the case. Vipul Sharma, a noted lawyer at the Uttarakhand High Court and an alumnus of the school, “I have full faith that truth will come out and the guilty will be punished. Before Shaan, two other students of the school had died in a trolley accident. The Principal has to be answerable for these incidents.”
The candlelight vigil started at Tallital and culminated at Mallital. After which the old students went up to Sherwood College and lit candles at the school gate. “Shaan’s death is the sad culmination of the Principal’s misdeeds,” said Sunil Issar, an alumnus of the school. The old students are demanding that the principal be oust.
The Zero FIR that was registered at Noida has been transferred to Nainital and Neena Shresta was here yesterday to record her statement in front of the investigating officer. She also appeared before the additional magistrate as a magisterial enquiry has been initiated. The old students are not to stop here and said they would continue their fight till they get justice.
