Ryan redux: Class 7 girl attacks 6-yr-old in school toilet

The principal of a school, where a Class 1 boy was allegedly attacked with a sharp-edged weapon by a girl, was on Thursday arrested even as officials said the suspect wanted a holiday in the event of a schoolmate's death.

The girl was later sent to a juvenile home till January 31.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the trauma centre here and talked to doctors, inquiring about the well-being of six-year-old Ritik, who was attacked in the toilet of Brightland School in Triveni Nagar locality by his senior, in a chilling reminder of the murder of Class II student Pradhyumn Thakur in Gurugram's ryan International School last year.

The boy was stated to be out of danger.

The school's principal Rachit Manas was arrested by the police in connection with the incident that took place on January 16.

"He has been arrested for negligence and hiding evidence. He did not inform the police of the incident," Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said.

Later, Chief Judicial Magistrate (Custom) Chhavi Asthana granted bail to Manas on furnishing two sureties of Rs 20,000 each and a personal bond of the same amount.

Kumar said the knife used by the 11-year-old girl, who was his senior in the school and was studying in Class 7, has also been recovered.

She was produced before the juvenile justice board after which principal magistrate Achal Pratap Singh sent her to the juvenile home for allegedly causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.

"The hair recovered from the victim has been sent for forensic examination," Kumar said.

District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said that prima facie it appeared that someone might have told the girl that a holiday could be announced by the school authorities only if there was death of any student.

"For getting the school closed, the girl attacked Ritik," police said.

The victim's father Rajesh had yesterday said, "I was informed by the school that my son is injured. He has been attacked with knife by a girl."

The boy was rushed to the trauma centre.

Dr Sandeep Tewari, who was treating the boy, said the victim had deep wounds on chest and stomach that 'seem to have been inflicted with a knife-like sharp object'.

A first information report was lodged in connection on Wednesday.

Panic gripped the school a day after the incident took place when other parents came to know about the matter and charged the school administration with trying to hush up the case.

Taking note of the incident after the picture of the wounded boy went viral on social media and TV channels, District Inspector of Schools (DIoS) Mukesh Kumar Singh issued a notice to the school seeking clarification as to why legal action should not be initiated against it.

"The school has not provided information to our office regarding the incident after registration of the FIR. A clarification has been sought from the school," Singh said.

Seven-year-old Pradhyumn of Gurgaon's Ryan International School was found dead with his throat slit by a sharp-edged weapon in the school's washroom in September last year in which a 16-year-old student has been charged with committing the crime.

Image: UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath meets six-year-old Ritik, who was attacked in the toilet of Brightland School in Triveni Nagar locality by his senior. Photograph: PTi Photo