Panchkula school assault: PUBG allegation emerges as victim’s uncle shares new details

The uncle of the six-year-old girl with special needs who was allegedly assaulted by an eight-year-old boy inside a government school in Haryana’s Panchkula has claimed that the boy used to play PUBG and other aggressive video games. He said the boy’s father had also confirmed that he played such games.

Speaking about the incident, the uncle, Fazil, alleged that the boy’s behaviour escalated after an exchange between the children. According to him, the boy first called the girl “crazy”. When she said she would report him for using the word, he became scared and then told her that her father was upstairs, asking her to go up.

Fazil’s remarks come amid an ongoing investigation into the October 28 incident, in which the girl suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.

The girl is doing better than before and has been receiving intensive medical attention over the past few days, her uncle said.

“For the past two or three days, she has been receiving excellent care. The doctors are monitoring her very closely; everything is being handled well,” he said.

Panchkula Deputy Commissioner of Police Aditi Singh had earlier said the girl was out of danger.

FIRs against school and child, says uncle

Fazil said separate FIRs had been filed against the school and the child involved in the incident.

Police had earlier confirmed that an FIR was registered against the school administration after investigators found alleged negligence in the supervision of students. The case was registered under relevant provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The police have also said that the eight-year-old boy is undergoing a psychological evaluation by experts in accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act. Further action will depend on the assessment.

Haryana orders probe, school safety audit

The Haryana government has constituted a five-member committee to investigate the incident and asked it to submit its report within seven days. The committee is headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner and includes education, child protection, police and special education representatives.

The government has also said it will bear the girl’s treatment expenses and conduct a comprehensive safety audit of schools across the state.

The Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and sought a detailed report from the Panchkula District Education Officer. It has asked for information on classroom supervision, staff duties, the school’s response after the assault, medical assistance and preventive measures.

The commission has also sought records including the school’s duty roster, attendance details, available CCTV footage and the incident report.

The girl’s uncle had earlier accused the school of negligence, alleging that CCTV cameras were installed but no one was monitoring them when the incident occurred. He also claimed that the family faced delays in getting the girl out of the classroom after reaching the school.

The investigation is continuing.