BALURGHAT: Following the death of a Class II student at a private primary school hostel in Rajibpur, Gangarampur, the school authorities on Saturday began sending all residential students back home. The deceased, Anushree Hembram (8), along with three other ailing students, was rescued from the hostel on Friday afternoon and taken to Gangarampur Hospital by the police. Two of the three admitted students were later discharged.
A hostel worker admitted that Anushree was unwell since Wednesday. However, guardians questioned why her family was informed only on Friday morning—two days after the child fell ill. Anushree’s parents and relatives demanded legal action against the hostel authorities, alleging negligence and delay in providing medical attention.
According to the family, the girl’s condition deteriorated sharply on Friday morning, prompting hostel staff to finally call her parents. They rushed her to Gangarampur Hospital, where she died shortly afterwards. Her father, Sujan Hembram, alleged that timely intervention could have saved her life. Shocked and angered, relatives staged a protest outside the hostel, accusing the authorities of gross negligence.
The school, however, stated that according to hostel rules, guardians are to be informed immediately if any residential student falls ill and that the matter is being thoroughly examined to determine what went wrong. The private institution runs hostels for boys and girls from Nursery to Class IV, currently accommodating 185 girls and more than 200 boys. Following the incident, the school began vacating both hostels and sending all boarders home, pending an internal review. South Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Chinmay Mittal said: “Based on specific complaints, a female staff member responsible for hostel duties has been arrested and an investigation is underway.”