Inquiry committee to probe Aakriti's death

An inquiry committee has been constituted to probe into the death of Aakriti Bhatia, a class XII student of Modern School Vasant Vihar, who died of an asthma attack owing to alleged recklessness on the part of school authorities. The panel will also examine whether the medical facility was available in the school.

Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely said action would be taken against the school authorities if are found guilty.

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“An enquiry was ordered into the incident on Wednesday night. The report will be submitted within three days," a senior education department official reportedly said on Thursday.

In the wake of rising protest by parents and students, the school has also ordered an internal inquiry.

The 17-year-old commerce student, Aakriti suffered an asthma attack on Tuesday morning in the school and died later on her way to hospital.

Meanwhile, the school have been kept closed for two days following the protest by students and parents against the school authorities on Thursday. The protests turned ugly when they surrounded the school Principal, Goldy Malhotra, accusing her of negligence and callous attitude.

Aakriti’s parents had alleged that her daughter was not provided adequate medical aid by the school. Aakriti’s mother, Anu Bhatia, who was still in shock, said they waited for us to come with car to take her to hospital despite there were many cars parked in the school, and even the Principal had her own car. They could have arranged for ambulance.

The school had a moral duty to give her daughter oxygen and call an ambulance, she said.

As per Aakriti’s parents and many students, delay proved fatal for Aakriti. The school is also accused of taking back the oxygen mask it had given the gasping student as she was being put in her car.

Had school authorities shown sincerity in providing medical treatment to her on time she could have been alive, said a friend of Aakriti blaming school authority for the death of Aakriti.

The school authorities however, said they did everything whatever they could do to save the child, including taking her to hospital.