Class 2 boy death: Bus driver, assistant arrested, principal and correspondent booked

A seven-year-old boy came under the wheels of a school van inside the institution and died on Monday morning in Valasaravakkam.

The deceased V J Theeksheth was a Class 2 student of Sri Venkateswara Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Alawarthirunagar. He is the only son of Vetrivel-Jenifer, IT employees.

While the school administration initially claimed that Theeksheth was run over when he came back to the bus to take his lunch bag as the driver was reversing the bus after dropping the students, investigation revealed that he came under the front wheel of the bus on the left as the driver could not spot him.

Police said that Theeksheth got down from the bus and stood in front of it and the driver started moving ahead after all the students alighted and knocked him down.

He was rushed to a private hospital in Vadapalani but was declared brought dead. On information, Valasaravakkam police sent his body to the Government Royapettah Hospital for post-mortem secured the driver identified as Poongavanam (64) of Mugalivakkam and his assistant Gnanasakthi of Alwarthirungagar, who was supposed to regulate the students while boarding and deboarding them.

The school administration closed the premises for the students for the day to mourn the death of their student and parents were informed to take back their children. Tension prevailed in the neighbourhood due to the accident.

Meanwhile, Theeksheth's parents refused to accept their son's body after post-mortem examination and demanded the arrest of the school correspondent and principal. However, officials held talks with them after which the body was handed over to them.

When contacted, Valasaravakkam police said that a case has been registered under Section 304 (2) (culpable homicide) of IPC and both Poongavanam and Gnanasakthi have been arrested. Police said the school administration including, the principal Dhanalakshmi and correspondent Jaya Subash, have also been booked in the case and further investigation is on.