06Jun02dch1


DECCAN HERALD		Thursday, June 6, 2002

Girl collapses after PT, dies DH News Service BANGALORE, June 5

In a shocking incident, a 10-year-old girl of Baldwins Girls School collapsed and died in the school playground during the physical training (PT) class today afternoon. The girl Bhagyashree Golecha, studying in standard 6th was rushed to Republic Nursing Home on Langford Road close to the school, where she was reportedly declared brought dead.

Angry relatives of the girl told Deccan Herald that the girl became a victim of corporal punishment administered by the PT teacher of the school. “The entire class was asked to run five rounds on the playground. I am told my daughter collapsed during the second round and died,” said the girl’s father Lalit Golecha. “She was normal and healthy when we dropped her to the school this morning,” Mr Lalit said.

The death of the girl created a tense situation outside Mallya Hospital where a large number of people mainly the relatives of the girl had gathered. The body of the girl was shifted to Mallya Hospital around 4.30 pm where her eyes were removed towards donation for the corneal blind. Bhagyashree and her younger sister were dropped to school around 8.15 am by her father Lalit Golecha, mother Sangeeta and her younger brother.

To its shock, the family residing in R T Street received a call from the school authorities around 2.45 pm informing them about the incident. Mr Lalit rushed to Republic Nursing Home where his daughter was declared dead. The administrator of the school Col A K Tharu who visited Mallya Hospital in the evening told Deccan Herald that he had spoken to the PT teacher who he said had denied the allegation that she gave any punishment to the girls.

When pressed for his reaction, he said he was not present at the spot and hence could not say what actually happened. He however added that “it was unlikely that the girls were punished on the very second day of the reopening of schools.” When asked about the different versions doing the rounds, Col Tharu said “you cannot rule out the possibility of the girl having some health problem which might have been the actual cause of her death.”

He expressed shock and grief over the incident. The parents of the girl told Deccan Herald that she was normal and healthy and was not suffering from any ill health. The body of the girl has been shifted to Bowring Hospital for post-mortem. The post mortem report is expected to throw more light over the cause of death. Bhagyashree was the eldest of three children to her parents.