Nursery girl crushed to death in school lift; principal, teacher held

A four-year-old girl was on Tuesday crushed to death as her head got stuck in the door of the elevator at a private school in Dilsukhnagar area following which the school principal and teacher were arrested.

The victim, a nursery student, was identified as Syeda Xainab Fatima and the incident that took place at about 9.15 am sparked protests by her shocked family members and outraged public.

"School principal Shalini and teacher Saroja were arrested on charge of negligence in connection with the incident," Deputy Commissioner of Police (East Zone) A Ravinder told PTI.

Based on a complaint filed by the parents of the girl, a case under section 304A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act was registered against the school management and the principal and teacher have been so far arrested, the DCP said.

The mishap occurred when Zaina along with seven other students and a teacher got into the elevator at the ground floor of the school to go to the third floor.

"The students were jostling for space and pulling each other's bags inside the lift. In the midst of this, Zaina's hand got stuck in the grilled doors of the elevator. As some one had pressed the button for the above floors, the elevator started moving and Zaina's hand and head were pressed between the elevator and the first floor concrete roof," Malakpet inspector A Ganga Reddy said.

Horror-struck children and the teacher ran out of the lift as soon as it halted and it took more than half an hour to remove the body of the child from the elevator, police said.

"Further investigations in the case are underway. Stringent action will be taken against  those, who committed the mistake," he said.

The district education officer has been summoned by the police and he will be examined whether the school management had got the necessary permission (to run the school), the DCP said.

Malakpet police station Inspector A Ganga Reddy said efforts are on to nab Satish, the Zonal in-charge of the private school management, who is absconding. Earlier, the family members of the deceased and other local residents gathered in front of the school and held a protest demanding stern action against its management.

Image: The police at the scene after the incident. Photograph: ANI