The incident took place on Monday at the primary school in Naveen Pokhara (Kanaila), Garwar. Meanwhile, upon receiving the news of his son’s death, his father, Izhar Ahmed, arrived home from Chennai on Tuesday afternoon.
उप्र: बलिया में स्कूल में बच्चे की मौत, लौकी के लालच में ले ली मासूम अरशद की जान, प्रिंसिपल, टीचर और शिक्षा मित्र तीनों को जेल
Ballia, significant action has been taken following the death of a student who was electrocuted at his school. The police have arrested the acting headmaster, an assistant teacher, and a shikshamitra (para-teacher), and sent them to jail.
Additionally, a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder has been registered against a Junior Engineer (JE) from the Electricity Department. The incident occurred on Monday at the Naveen Pokhara (Kanaila) Primary School, located in the Gadwar education block. Upon receiving the news of his son’s death, the boy’s father, Izhar Ahmed, arrived home from Chennai on Tuesday afternoon. The child’s post-mortem was conducted at the district hospital in his presence, after which the body was laid to rest in the village.
Arshad, the 11-year-old son of Izhar Ahmed—a resident of Bisukiya—was a fourth-grade student at the Kanaila Primary School. On Monday, after he arrived at school, teachers instructed him to climb onto the roof of the school kitchen using a bamboo ladder to pluck a bottle gourd. While doing so, he came into contact with a high-tension power line passing nearby, resulting in his immediate death. Following the incident, outraged villagers and family members staged a protest on the school premises for nearly seven hours. Based on a complaint filed by the deceased’s brother, Salman, the police registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against acting headmaster Vijay Shankar, assistant teacher Anil Kumar, shikshamitra Deepchand Ram, and Junior Engineer Rajnarayan Yadav of the Electricity Department. The police have arrested the three school staff members and sent them to jail.
“I have lost my son; may no other family’s light be extinguished.”
The death of Arshad—who was electrocuted while climbing the school roof to pluck a bottle gourd—has left his father, Izhar Ahmed, a resident of Bisukiya, completely shattered. Enduring the unbearable pain of losing his support, Izhar is now pleading for the safety of other children. Speaking with a choked voice at the district hospital’s post-mortem facility, Izhar expressed his hope that the action taken would serve as an example. We have already lost our son, but we do not want any other father to lose his child due to someone else’s negligence. Those responsible must take accountability. We demand justice.
Izhar Ahmed has been living in Chennai for about five years, working as a tailor. He stays there alone to earn a living, ensuring his sons and family are well-provided for. Arshad was the youngest of his four sons. Sobbing as he spoke, he said, “He was such a lovely child. We send our children to school to study, yet my son was made to climb onto the roof to pluck vegetables.”
He stated that this is a clear case of negligence by the teachers present at the school. Furthermore, the electricity department is equally to blame; power lines run directly over the school building, yet no one seems concerned. To whom should we even turn? We have lost our beloved son. We demand justice. Action must be taken against those responsible so that no other parent has to lose their child. He mentioned that no official had visited them yet—though, in any case, they are currently occupied with the funeral rites for their son. They would be in a position to discuss matters further only after that.
Bottle Gourd Was Not on the Monday Menu
The government has established a formal menu for the midday meal, and children are supposed to be served food accordingly. According to sources, the menu for Monday was supposed to consist of rotis, a soybean dish, and fresh fruit. In violation of these guidelines, a student was sent up to the roof to pluck a bottle gourd. Questions are being raised about who planted the bottle gourd vine at the school and where the bamboo ladder used to climb onto the roof came from. Some have also suggested that the role of the cook—who is a resident of the same village—is suspicious; however, locals have refrained from naming her directly. There is also talk that the family of the deceased had submitted a written complaint seeking action against the cooks, but some villagers managed to get it altered.
Investigation into the JE, SDO, and BEO
The case surrounding the death of student Arshad has escalated. The administration is treating the incident with great seriousness, and an investigation is underway to ensure that everyone found guilty is held accountable. Officials from the Electricity Department state that charge sheets are being prepared against the Junior Engineer (JE) and the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). Meanwhile, there are demands that the responsibility of the Block Education Officer (BEO) also be determined and appropriate action taken.
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