A six-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was allegedly assaulted inside a classroom at a government school in Panchkula, Haryana, by an eight-year-old Class 3 student, police said.
The incident took place on Wednesday, October 28, and came to light after the girl's family reached the school looking for her. She was initially taken to the Civil Hospital in Sector 6 and later referred to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, where she is undergoing treatment for serious injuries. Media reports have described the girl as a child with special needs.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amrinder Singh confirmed that the boy is eight years old and the girl six. He said the boy was undergoing a medical assessment, as prescribed in cases involving children aged between seven and 12. Further action would depend on the findings of the assessment.
According to the girl's family, she was taken to a classroom on the first floor after being told that her father was waiting there. The family alleged that she was attacked with a stone, a flower pot and a dustbin, and dragged across the floor. She was reportedly found unconscious and bleeding.
The family has also raised questions about the school's supervision and safety arrangements, particularly how the incident occurred in a classroom reportedly covered by CCTV cameras monitored from the principal's office.
Police are questioning the school management and the boy's parents. Investigators are examining the school's supervision arrangements and CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events.
The Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also taken cognisance of the incident and sought an inquiry into possible lapses in the school's safety and supervision arrangements, according to media reports.
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, a child below seven years of age cannot be held criminally responsible for an act. For children aged between seven and 12, criminal responsibility depends on whether they have attained sufficient maturity to understand the nature and consequences of their conduct.
With inputs from media reports.