Silchar: A four-year-old student died during class hours at a private school in the Katigorah area of Cachar district on Thursday.The incident has triggered massive outrage among parents and local residents, who have accused the school administration of gross negligence.The tragedy unfolded at Holy Flowers High School during a tiffin break. The deceased, identified as Sakib Alam, a student of KG-1 and the only child of Haris Uddin from the Ganganagar area, reportedly fell ill and collapsed inside his classroom while other students were eating. He was eventually rushed to the Katigorah Model Hospital, where doctors declared him “brought dead.”The incident took a volatile turn after CCTV footage from the classroom purportedly surfaced. Family members and locals who viewed the recording alleged that the teachers on duty were preoccupied with other activities and failed to notice the child’s distress. According to the allegations, the footage shows the boy lying under a bench for a considerable period without receiving any immediate assistance, despite his classmates reportedly trying to draw the attention of the staff. The principal of Holy Flowers High School, Chumki Das, admitted to reporters that the school authorities are “partially responsible” for the unfortunate turn of events. However, she also pointed toward the school’s nutrition policy, stating that junk food is strictly banned within the premises — a rule she claimed was reiterated to parents in a recent meeting. Footage reportedly showed some students with fast food in their hands, though the exact cause of Sakib’s death remains unknown.The child’s death sparked immediate and heated protests within the school campus. Angry parents and community members gathered to demand accountability, raising serious concerns regarding the safety protocols and emergency response mechanisms in private educational institutions. Protesters have demanded a thorough examination of the CCTV evidence and strict legal action against those found responsible for the lapse in supervision.Local police have launched an investigation into the matter and have sent the body to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for an autopsy. “The circumstances behind the death will become clear once the autopsy report is available. We are looking into the allegations of negligence,” a police official said.
