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School denies foul play in Delhi pupil's death
The family of 16-year-old Pushpanjali Raj, who allegedly fell to her death from the fifth floor of her hostel at a Delhi school, yesterday demanded investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigations.
- IANS
- Published: 23:44 August 28, 2008
New Delhi: The family of 16-year-old Pushpanjali Raj, who allegedly fell to her death from the fifth floor of her hostel at a Delhi school, yesterday demanded investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigations. The school authorities have, meanwhile, denied any foul play in the girl's death.
"The school initially didn't tell us that she has fallen from the fifth floor. We came to know about it later. She was not someone who would commit suicide," Pushpanjali's father Shiv Narayan Raj said.
Both Raj and his brother Purushottam Raj reached the national capital yesterday from Jharkhand.
According to the DPS RK Puram authorities, Pushpanjali Raj, a student of class XI, died yesterday after she apparently jumped off from the fifth floor of her hostel bathroom.
Dead on arrival
She was taken to Holy Angels' hospital in Vasant Vihar where she was declared brought dead. The girl was a science student and had joined the school a couple of months ago. Her family belongs to Hazari Bagh area of Jharkhand.
"We want a thorough investigation into the case. The truth should come out. We have also requested the police to take us to her room in the hostel," Shiv Narayan Raj said.
The school principal Shyama Chona, however, denied any foul play and said Pushpanjali may have been under stress.
Addressing media persons here, Chona said: "She was competing with herself. She may have been stressed due to studies. She had scored less in two Monday tests."
"She got 26 marks out of 40 in her English test and because of that she may have been depressed. According to her classmates, she was very studious and was always occupied with books," she said.
"Let the police probe the matter. The school is shocked and sad." she added.
Pushpanjali had Monday given a mathematics test whose result is still not out.
The school authorities claimed that as soon as they got news about the incident, Pushpanjali was taken to the Holy Angels' hospital at Vasant Vihar.
"She was taken to the hospital within seven minutes," the school authorities said.
The girl is said to have been preparing for IIT entrance examinations.
Police is awaiting the postmortem report, which is expected to be out late yesterday.
"The case is still open and we are waiting for the postmortem report before the investigations are taken forward and we come to any conclusion," a senior police officer said.
However, the officer refused to divulge any information regarding the recovery of a suicide note or any tool with which the bathroom wiremesh was cut.
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