Akkriti case: Govt for action against teacher, nurse

New Delhi: Delhi Education Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely on Thursday threatened action against Modern School if it does not act against the teacher and the nurse responsible for the death of 17-year-old student Akkriti Bhatia within seven days.

The government is giving seven days' time to the school to take action against the nurse and the teacher and if they fail to do so, then action will be taken against the school, the minister told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.

Akkriti, a Class 12 student of Modern School at Vasant Vihar, had suffered an asthma attack in school on April 20 and died on her way to the hospital.

Her parents and fellow students had accused school authorities of not taking timely action when Akkriti suffered the asthma attack. The Delhi government had ordered an inquiry into Akkriti's death, though the school had denied allegations of negligence.

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday said that as per initial reports, a teacher and a nurse were responsible for Akkriti's death.

"Prima facie it looks that the nurse and teacher are responsible and the school should suspend them for the time being. Everything will be cleared after the viscera report is received," Dikshit had said.

A committee appointed by the education department to probe the matter found lapses on the part of the school authorities.

"The panel was headed by Regional Director Sunita S Kaushik. The report stated that the school authorities failed to provide proper and timely medication to Akkriti... It also observed that the principal of the school Goldy Malhotra did not take adequate steps to ensure proper medical treatment to the teenager," a source said.

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), in its report, also found lapses on part of Modern School.

"On the basis of statement of school students and authorities, we have recommended the Delhi Police register a criminal negligence case. But the police has not taken any action so we are approaching Delhi High court to get a case registered against the school authorities," a DCPCR member said.